Fate's Cruel Decision
by JazzGirl123
Summary: Running from a love that was one-sided and a life full of lives, twenty two year old Hinamori Amu didn't expect this turn of events. She always wanted freedom from the cruel back stabs of life, but this was not at all what she expected. It seemed Fate enjoyed pulling these tricks on her already broken heart. Amuto, side Rimahiko, Miru, and others.
1. A Bitter Love Story

…

There are times when you just want to jump up and down with joy, not caring what people think. Your emotions are on a roller coaster and you end up at the most fantastic amusement park when it comes to an end.

An example would be something like getting engaged to the person you love more than life itself.

Then there are times when you just want to go die in a hole, thinking no one will mind since they all have their own issues to worry about. You've been through so much that a happy ending is so far off, it's not even an option anymore, but you put on a mask anyways and pretend you're perfectly fine.

An example would be something like having someone else get engaged to the person you love more than life itself.

Guess which category I fall in?

…

Hinamori Amu, twenty-two years old.

My whole life I've worn a mask, never letting anyone-not even my parents see my true self or speak my true feelings. The only exception was my best friend, Mashiro Rima, and her boyfriend, Fujisaki Nagihiko. They always saw right through me, which is why I loved them so much. I didn't need anybody else, I decided.

Then I met him.

I had been fourteen when it happened. I was taking my younger sister, Ami, who had been thirteen, to the carnival and she tripped over something so I made her sit on the bench while I went to get some cotton candy to cheer her up.

It turned out that the only way you could get cotton candy at the carnival was to play this game and win. If you couldn't win, you would have to spin a wheel to determine the price of the cotton candy. It ranged from two dollars to thirty; it made sense since it was gourmet cotton candy (I still don't know how cotton candy can be gourmet, but hey).

I only had ten dollars and couldn't risk it, and Ami refused to have anything else, so I was stuck playing this game of chance called Shugo Chara. You had to take the plastic eggs and throw them at the moving dolls, but the eggs had a symbol on them that you had to match to the doll.

I got four eggs (one had a heart, the other had a spade, another a clover, and the fourth had a diamond) and threw three of them. The heart hit the doll with the crown, the spade hit the one with the cat, and the clover hit the one with the bamboo. The diamond was the only hope I had, since the booth cost me five dollars and I needed to bring home change.

"You can do it, girly," encouraged the booth owner, though he didn't mean it from the way he didn't even look at me as he smoked his cigarette. I took a deep breath and held the diamond egg tightly in my hand, reeling it back as I concentrated on the doll that shared the same symbol.

"If I don't make it, Ami will throw a fit right there," I reminded myself as motivation, just as a released the egg. It flew towards the dolls, which happily jerked around on its conveyer belt, and it looked as if it was actually going to hit the diamond doll. I prepared to cheer, already pumping my fist, when the dolls suddenly moved again and the diamond egg hit the doll with the headphones instead. I must have looked ridiculous, my hand halfway in the air with a horrified expression on my face as I stood there.

"Better luck next time," stated the booth guy and I glowered at him, crossing my arms as I glared at the dolls just as somebody brushed past me and handed the owner a single dollar bill. "That's one egg, one chance, buddy."

"I only need one," said the newcomer smoothly, taking the black egg with the cat on it as he stared at the moving dolls. To my surprise, he did an underhanded toss instead of the overhead throw I did. It glided smoothly through the air, and I thought for sure it was going to hit the spade doll rather than the cat one, but at the last minute, the dolls moved and the cat egg hit the right doll. My jaw dropped as the booth owner grudgingly handed the newcomer the huge bag of cotton candy.

He turned to me and handed it to me, earning a confused look from me. "You were getting it for you sister, right? I don't eat sweet stuff, so you can have it."

"Then why did you play?" I sputtered, taking the bag in my arms. He shrugged and I was captivated by the glint in his indigo blue eyes.

"You looked as if you were struggling and needed help," he replied, and I glared at him.

"I don't need help from the likes of you," I stated coldly, my mask instantly snapping on as I realized I had let my true self show. He looked amused as he turned around. "Hold on, I'm not done with you!"

"Later," he stated, disappearing into the crowd. I stomped my foot childishly before making my way back to Ami, who practically shoved me away as she took the sweet treat from me. The night passed on, and I forgot about the strange guy.

Ami and I went on with our lives, going to separate high schools since she wanted to pursue a singing career and went to a special performance school. Since then, she became the star of the family and I just became the shadow. She shined like the sun, and I was as cold as ice.

I became friends with Rima and Nagi during sophomore year, and since they could see through me so easily, I ended up telling them about everything about my mask and whatnot. They understood. They put up masks up as well.

Everything was fine, and I was satisfied. Ami was super happy and working to an amazing life in the future, I had the two greatest friends in the world, and I even warmed up to this guy Tadase.

Then my sister's school decided to have a concert at my school.

It was amazing to see so many talented people in one place, hearing all this incredible music and see all this beautiful creativity. There was even a performance by Hoshina Utau, a beautiful idol with a powerful voice. And then Ami went up and nearly rivaled the famous idol, though Utau didn't look like she minded. I guess Ami made a new friend there.

And then the announcer's voice boomed, "And now for our next performance, we have Tsukiyomi Ikuto on the violin!"

I had been chatting with Rima and Nagi absently when I heard all the girls squeal loudly, nearly causing me to go deaf. I turned to the stage and my eyes widened, recognizing the guy from the carnival years ago. He had a bored expression on his face as he looked through the crowd and maybe it was just my imagination, but I swear his eyes met mine for just a second.

As the guy, Ikuto, put his violin under his chin, his features softened and the melody flowed through the air. The girls were swooning and the guys were captivated as well, but I wasn't paying attention to the others. In that one song, I heard his whole story. In that one song, I knew I was in love. Call me stupid for falling in love with a guy I didn't even know, but I knew what it was.

The song was sad and bitter, but it also lifted my spirits and put me in a peaceful state. I heard the pain he felt but also the hope he had for others to get their happy ending. I knew nothing about him, but that song made me feel like we had known each other all our lives.

When the song ended, he simply left the stage as everyone burst into applause. I shook off the strange feeling I had and began talking with Nagi about his basketball game the upcoming Friday, when Ami raced over.

"Amu," she exclaimed, waving absently to Rima and Nagi. "Guess what?" I raised an eyebrow, silently asking. "I got a boyfriend!" I knew dad was going to flip. "He's just the most amazing and hottest guy ever!" Ami giggled. "Don't tell papa, but he's also such a bad boy! Oh, Amu, and guess what? He proposed!" She looked around while I sputtered at this revelation. "Oh, here he comes now! Amu, I want you to meet my boyfriend and fiancé, Ikuto!"

And my world crumbled.

…

Our parents flipped, naturally. They made Ami and Ikuto wait until they both graduated, considering Ami was a sophomore and Ikuto was a senior like me. High school, where pedophiles are born.

And so they remained a steady couple for two and half more years. They planned the wedding, getting ready to marry right after Ami's graduation…but then the week before the wedding, Ami got extremely ill and they had to postpone the wedding.

It took almost two months before she felt better, but everybody was so busy and there was no time to reschedule the wedding until recently.

Ikuto and I became good friends, despite my feelings for him. We had to be good friends at least; we were going to be in-laws one day. It was during this time, when he told me about how his father had died when he was young and his stepfather had abused him and his sister (imagine how shocked I was when I found out Hoshina Utau was his sister), and how he came to love the violin, that I realized I really did love him. I was absolutely sure at that point, and I could tell it was obvious when I realized I had dropped my mask when he was around.

It was obviously one-sided, considering he was getting married to my sister and all. Rima knew how I felt (like I said, she and Nagi see right through me), and kept telling me just to tell him…but I couldn't.

I loved Ikuto, but he loved Ami, who loved him. I wasn't going to ruin such a happy couple.

So I suffered through the pain, and I decided I couldn't fool myself anymore. I began putting walls up again, especially around Ikuto, and gave him the cold shoulder and sometimes even put up my mask around Ami. They were startled but I just dismissed whatever worries they had, telling them to focus on the wedding.

I needed to get away. I couldn't stay there and see them every day, being so happy and in love…

Luckily for me, I found a job in America and was going to take a plane there the day after the wedding. I don't know why I was attending; Ami hadn't even picked me to be a bridesmaid, choosing her childhood friends Yaya and Rikka, while Utau was her maid of honor. I guess it may have had something to do with the fact that at the time she chose them, I had already slipped back on my mask.

Old habits die hard, I suppose.

…

Then, the night before the wedding, something happened. I was busy drowning my sorrows into a tub of ice cream, absently flipping through the TV as Rima and Nagi slept on my couch. They have their own apartment; I don't know why they're over at mine so much.

All of a sudden, the cartoon I had been watching was interrupted by a knocking at the door. Making sure my friends were still sleeping, I walked over and opened the door with a surprised expression. Ikuto stood there, looking anxious.

"Amu, I need you to have something," he stated, not even asking if he could come in. I doubt I would have, considering I'd probably make sure he never left. I raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean, we're going to be siblings right?" I nodded slowly, ignoring the pain I felt. "Well, Ami means a lot to me…and since she loves you so much, I decided there has to be something to represent our familial love just like the wedding represents the romantic love Ami and I have."

"And?" I said, gesturing for him to continue as I stared at him boredly. Inside, I was dying. I didn't want his familial love. Ikuto reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful white padlock. "What's that?"

"I saw it at shop," he explained. "I have the matching key. You can be the lock, I'll be the key, and Ami can be the treasure waiting inside." I nodded once, holding the padlock in my hands. It felt heavy and meaningless, like my heart.

"Thanks, Ikuto," I said slowly, turning to go back inside. "Well…I'll see you tomorrow then." He looked absolutely relieved and I knew at once I couldn't go to the wedding, so I added, "I'm happy for you and Ami; take care of her." He nodded as I closed the door on him.

Because even if I wanted to break down and cry, and even if I wanted Ikuto for myself, I _was _happy for him and Ami. They deserved happiness, both of them, and I wasn't going to let my own feelings ruin that.

I booked the next plane to America, packing my things. I already sold my apartment and it supposed to be empty by tomorrow night. Rima and Nagi woke up around two to my sobs, and just held me like I was their lost child. They told me I would be fine, and that I should at least tell them the truth. I agreed, deciding to write a letter.

I asked Rima to give them the letter after the wedding, since I would most likely to be gone by then. She gave me a sad look, as if she knew something I didn't, and hugged me tightly as she agreed. I spent the rest of the night packing, the apartment soon as empty as my heart.

And as I boarded the plane, without even saying goodbye to anyone other than Rima and Nagi, I looked up at the full moon and saw all the beautiful stars, and smiled. How I wanted to be a star, seeing everything without being involved. Stars felt no pain, and could still be there whenever a lost soul needed leading.

Stars…how I wish I was one.

…

_**Dear everybody,**_

_**I am sorry I did not say goodbye, but I decided to leave early for my job in America. I apologize if anybody panicked, but I assume everybody was too busy with the wedding to notice I was gone. And if anybody did, they didn't say anything because who would want a Crabby Cathy at such a beautiful event?**_

_**I'm not coming back to Japan, just in case you're wondering. Too many painful memories there.**_

_**So…I will just be honest, since I promised Rima. **_

_**All my life, I put on a mask. I came off as a cruel and heartless person, a 'Cool n' Spicy' idol of some sort…when really, that was my way of not showing my true emotions. I don't know how to put this, really…I guess what I'm saying is, almost nobody sees the real me.**_

_**Nobody but three people (and no, they're not my parents or Ami) know who I am; how I want to be honest and girly, how I want to be more artistic and express myself better, how I wish I could be motherly without breaking my tough exterior, or how I wish I could glow as radiantly as the stars or like Ami. **_

_**Ami…I won't lie. I was always jealous of you. You were so beautiful and talented, and you got everything you ever wanted so easily. But I loved you too much to let that jealousy to get to me…and even now, I don't let it get to me.**_

_**I don't know if you know or not, but the other night, Ikuto came by apartment and said he wanted something to represent how we're going to be siblings. He gave me a padlock, holding onto the key. He said you were the treasure waiting. I agree, but it killed me.**_

_**You see, Ami, you're not the only one who fell in love with Ikuto. **_

_**I do love Ikuto, more than anything else in this world, but I know you two are happy together. This is part of the reason I couldn't make the wedding or say goodbye. I doubt I could have without breaking down.**_

_**Ikuto, you told me about your past. Please…tell Ami about it; she deserves that more than anybody else. I know you're happy with Ami, but please don't forget about me. I know you don't believe that I'm in love with you, considering how cold I've been lately (though you should know that was because I was wearing my mask again), but if it helps…I still have the padlock with me, and…a black cat doll I won at the carnival the other day. I think the game was called 'Shugo Chara'. I hope that rings a bell…if not, I know it's not meant to be. **_

_**Anyways, I cannot bear to be there anymore. I need a fresh start, and I'm sorry it had to be during such a happy occasion. Please forgive me. **_

_**If you want to contact me, just send the message to Rima or Nagi; they know where I am, but they promised not to tell anyone else. They're two of the three people who know who I really am, by the way.**_

_**Maybe I will return one day. If I don't, I'll be like a star in the night sky and be watching you from afar.**_

_**Again, I'm truly sorry. I promise I won't wear a mask anymore.**_

_**Hinamori Amu**_

…

"_And in other news, there still has been no word about the plane crash over the Atlantic the other week…oh what's this?" The news anchor read the note that he was given. "It seems they have found the plane! Here is a list of the lost and deceased now. Luckily, it is a short list as there were many survivors. Let's pray for the families of our lost ones now, shall we?"_

_Momozono Amorza_

_Hitsugaya Kei_

_Kimura Rosalyn_

_Amulet Ran_

_Amulet Miki_

_Amulet Dia_

_Amulet Su_

_Hinamori Amu_

…

"…Amu was an incredible person," sniffled Ami, three weeks later. "She may have seemed cold at first, but she really was the kind of person who would do anything to make you happy. She was so supportive of me, even when our relationship got strained from our different life paths…and oh god, I just…" Ami burst into tears again and her father led her away, her face buried in his chest while a pained expression formed on his own face.

"Our final speaker is Tsukiyomi Ikuto."

Ikuto approached the podium, his eyes red and bleary. "Hinamori Amu was a vibrant character. She was the kind of person to push people away, but always be there when they needed help. The only problem she had was that nobody was there for her when she wanted to unload her own problems. You see, I met Amu when I was fourteen…we were at a carnival, and she was trying to win a bag of cotton candy for her sister but couldn't beat the game. I stepped in and she immediately got annoyed that I won so easily. I walked away but later I saw her sharing the cotton candy I had won with her sister."

He took a deep breath. "A few years later, I went to a performing art school where I met Hinamori Ami. We fell in love, but I couldn't help but linger on a certain pink haired girl I had met before. Soon, our school had a concert at the local high school were Ami introduced me to her sister. Imagine how surprised I was when I realized that it was Amu, the same girl I had met at the carnival." Ikuto paused to take another deep breath. "The wedding took a long time to plan, and during that time, Amu and I became good friends. I opened up to her and she dropped the icy mask she always wore. It was then that I realized I was in love with her, but it was too late. I was marrying Ami, and I was sure she didn't feel the same way."

Ami sniffled in her seat, dabbing her eyes as she watched the midnight blue haired man speak from the heart. Rima sat next to her, holding back tears as she patted the younger girl on the arm. Nagi had his arm around her, though he was crying as well.

Ikuto continued, "A few days later, I decided to do something to show how much I loved her. I picked up matching necklaces at the store, one with a lock and the other with a key that matched it. I gave the lock to Amu and I kept the key. I made a lame excuse, saying it was to represent our familial love. She accepted and we left. I had no idea that was the last time I was going to see her, seeing as she decided to leave for America early instead of leaving after the wedding." He swallowed hard. "I think everybody knows what happened next, but in case you don't…the plane flew through a particularly harsh storm and it flying down, assumed missing for weeks before it was finally found on a deserted island. There had been many survivors but some people had died, and some had gone missing. Amu was one of those who had gone missing, but she was assumed dead because no body was found." This time, it was Rima who burst into tears and Nagi held her tightly as tears shamelessly ran down his face. "It was at this time that her best friend, Rima, handed Amu's parents a letter that she had written before she left. There, she stated that not only did she hide behind a mask of false feelings all her life, but she also loved me as well." Ikuto now had tears going down his face as well, as did everybody else at the funeral. "Ami and I broke off the wedding, as most of you know, but I knew it was too late…Amu was gone by then." He swallowed again. "Amu always wanted to shine like her sister, so we don't say she's gone. Instead, she's simply a star in the sky that watches over us like she always has. Although there's no body in this coffin, it's just as well because Amu's no longer here on Earth…rather, she's up there. Like a star or an angel, shining in her own way at last…where she can smile without a mask, and finally be happy."

Ikuto wiped his face, nodding as he stepped down. Everybody watched as the coffin began to lower, and he reached under his shirt to pull out his key necklace. He stared at it, walking away from the crowd and out of the cemetery until he stopped at the amusement park he had brought her to one time…so, so long ago. It was abandoned now, and nobody bothered to bring it down so it stayed dusty and unused.

It was getting dark. Ikuto looked up and smiled sadly at the twinkling stars in the sky, one shining brighter than any of the others. That star was Amu, he decided, as he gripped the key in his hand. And she was certainly shining.

Rima and Nagi appeared at the entrance; apparently they had followed him, and gestured for him to come with them. Ikuto nodded and yanked his necklace off, placing it gently into the kids' pink teacup which she had forced him into before walking away.

As he and the couple walked away, a small wind picked up in the empty amusement park and the brightest star twinkled for a moment, light washing over the area. When it vanished, the pink teacup was glowing.

Nobody would find it for years, and even then it was only for the cat and ice queen to see, but for years on…people would always wonder how the Humpty Lock had appeared next to the Dumpty Key.

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara.**

**Damn…that was sad. I have nothing to say about this, other than it was sad and I sort of hate myself for writing it. And no, I am not writing another part to this.**

**I was going to write that Rima put the Lock in the coffin but I couldn't think of an excuse as to why she would have it, or if Amu had been alive and appeared at the funeral with tattered clothing, or even a scene where a ghostly Amu smiled and watched Ikuto from afar which he would see. But I decided on this instead.**

**Whether she died or was never found, I don't know. It's up to you.**

**Anyways…typical sad story. Ikuto is marrying somebody else even though he loves Amu, and she loved him, but some kind of event occurs and the wedding is called off. Only…I made sure that, unlike most of these kinds of stories, they don't get their happy ending. I don't know why I needed to write it like that, considering I made myself cry during this, but I wanted to write a story and this is what inspiration called for.**

**So yeah…again, if you're reading Seamstress and Prince, so sorry! I promise it will be up soon! Inspiration for that story doesn't come as easily…why do I get all these plot bunnies when I'm working on something else, and not when I need them? Jeez.**

**Anyways, I hope you liked it! Sorry if it's sad, and a bit rushed. **


	2. Star Light, Star Bright

…

I looked out at the night sky, smiling sadly at the stars outside. They looked so beautiful and free, where as I was trapped in a rut for…the next few hours.

As soon as I get off this plane and step foot on American soil, I'll be free. I won't have to deal with being the shadow of the family, or wearing a mask to hide my feelings, or even about the fact that my little sister is marrying the man I love.

Yup…can't wait to be free of that stuff.

My palm hit my forehead as I muttered, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"What's so stupid?"

I turned to the girl in the seat next to me. She looked around my age, but had this mature aura; she was very beautiful with her ginger colored hair and golden eyes like mine.

"Nothing that concerns you," I automatically replied before I remembered my promise to Rima and the others. I inhaled deeply before I looked at her again. "Sorry…it's just that…I have a lot of going on in my life, and I'm more or less running away from it by moving to America. I keep saying I want to move on but I keep thinking about it."

"It's a guy, isn't it?" She stated and my jaw dropped. She giggled and stuck out her hand, saying, "Amulet Dia, nice to meet you."

I took her offered hand. "Hinamori Amu…anyways, how did you know?"

Dia shrugged. "I remember I was in love with this guy in middle school, but I was too scared to confess. The way you act tells me that you never told a guy you loved him and now you think it's too late."

"Well…yeah," I admitted, wringing my hands as the plane took off. "I mean, it's probably for the best considering he's getting married to my sister tomorrow and all."

All of a sudden, a girl with magenta hair popped up from behind, scaring the living daylights out of me. "What?! Your sister is getting married to the guy you love? That's so messed up! Does she know?"

"No, she doesn't," I replied before asking, "Who are you?"

A green haired girl appeared right next to her, looking apologetic. "Sorry for interrupting, desu. I'm Amulet Su, and this is Ran. We're Dia's younger sisters desu."

"Yes, they are," stated Dia, rubbing her temples. "I thought I told you to take a nap during the flight. Where's Miki? She was supposed to be watching you."

"She's with her boyfriend two rows down," replied Ran, a longing look in her eyes as she sighed. "Oh, they're just so cute! Gosh, I love romance!"

"She and Yoru do suit each other, though it's a strange pair desu," remarked Su, trying to tug her sister back in her seat. That name…could it be…

"Wait, Yoru?" I asked curiously. "As in Tsukiyomi Yoru, the famous violinist?" The three girls exchanged wary looks.

"Yes…" Dia said, sounding cautious. I couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably.

"What? What's so funny?" Ran asked, looking confused as she and her sisters exchanged bewildered looks.

"Sorry, it's just that my sister is marrying Tsukiyomi Ikuto," I explained, still laughing. Fate really did have it out for me, it seemed.

"Oh," stated the three girls before their eyes widened, leaning towards me. "Eh?!"

Finally, I calmed down. "My younger sister, Hinamori Ami, is getting married to Tsukiyomi Ikuto-who happens to be the man I fell in love with-tomorrow! I ran away from home to get away from all of this drama, and now I find out that his younger cousin is on this very plane?" I wiped away a tear, chuckling.

"Whose younger cousin is on the plane?" A blue haired girl asked, appearing out of nowhere as she sat in the vacant seat next to Dia. "Amulet Miki."

"Hinamori Amu," I greeted before I launched into the full story. Two hours later, the five of us were laughing hysterically at the entire situation. "Still…it would have been nice if Ikuto felt the same way about me."

Yoru, who had been introduced to me earlier but went back to his seat because he didn't want to be involved in all the girl talk, popped up behind the seat. Apparently, he had come back. "What makes you think he doesn't? I mean, we haven't talked that much since the engagement but still…there must have been clues somewhere that he likes you because Ikuto doesn't open up to just anyone, nya."

I considered this. Ikuto almost never showed his emotions so I could never tell what he was really thinking…he was more of an 'action' kind of guy. Were there hints somewhere that I had missed?

"I mean, I don't want to get your hopes up but…"

Miki shushed her boyfriend. "Shh, can't you see she's thinking?"

I thought of all the times I had been with Ikuto.

…

"_How can you like all those rainbow toppings?" Ikuto asked as we left the ice cream parlor. Ami was with Utau, getting ready for a performance at the school. "I mean, why did you add so much when you already got such a colorful flavor?"_

"_Firstly, it's Birthday Mix," I replied, glaring at him. "And it's an amazing flavor!"_

"_If it's so amazing, you shouldn't have to add so much to it," Ikuto replied, licking his own plain chocolate wafer cone. I stuck my tongue out at him._

"_Toppings are an essential part to ice cream," I argued as we approached the amusement park. He said he was going to let me pick the rides today. "And just for saying it's not, you have to pay for my ticket!"_

"_I was going to anyways," he replied coolly. A smirk crossed his lips as I struggled to come up with another witty remark. "You're such a kid, Amu." He turned to the ticket seller, taking out his wallet. "But I guess that's why I like you so much."_

"_W-whatever, you weirdo," I stammered, turning away so he didn't see me blush. I took this time to scoop the rest of my ice cream into my mouth and throw the plastic bowl into the nearby trashcan. "I don't know why we even hang out."_

"_Because you love me," stated Ikuto and this time, I couldn't hide my blush._

_The vendor smiled as he handed us our tickets. "It's so nice to see such an innocent couple on a nice day." He was already talking to the next customer before either of us could correct him. _

"_Let's just go," I muttered, crossing my arms as I hurried into the park. He caught up to me quickly, grabbing my arm._

"_Relax, Amu," said Ikuto. "It's not like he knew."_

"_That's not why I'm upset," I replied, looking around while a puzzled expression crossed his handsome features. My eyes lit up and I grinned. "Oh, look Ikuto! The teacups!"_

"_No," he stated, crossing his arms. I turned to him, smirking._

"_You __**promised **__that I could pick the rides today, Ikuto," I reminded him darkly. "You weren't lying, were you? Because you know how I feel about liars."_

"_Alright, alright," said Ikuto, giving in. "And by the way, you say that like you'll do something but we both know that you'll just tell on me to Rima…and that midget sure does know how to be feared."_

"_That's Rima," I replied cheerfully as I grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him to the teacups ride, which had a very short line. "I pick that one!" Ikuto gave me a look that promised pain later but I ignored him as I forced him into the kiddy sized cup. Due to my petite frame, I fit in perfectly fine even though it was meant for six year olds…not seventeen year olds. Ikuto on the other hand…_

"_I can't believe you're making me do this," he deadpanned, looking around where various people were giving us odd looks. His knees were squished up to his chest and he could just barely move around. _

_I was too busy laughing to pay that much attention. "This is perfect! That huge body in this tiny cup! Man, where is my camera?"_

"_Don't you dare," said Ikuto darkly and I suddenly became scared so I didn't take a picture, though I still continued to laugh at him. "Just for that, next time I'm making you go into the Haunted House."_

"_That's so cliché," I stated, more or less because he knew I would be terrified. "I do something to you for all the teasing you do, and all you do is make me go into a place that you know will scare me as revenge. That's so overdone…"_

"_Maybe, but you're still going," said the blue haired male and I scowled. "Now, why the teacups of all things?"_

_I shrugged, not wanting to go into detail. "Long story short…I'm the bigger sister and I usually go on the rides Ami wants to go on, even if we're only a year and a half apart, so I've never enjoyed myself at amusement parks. I've never even been on the teacups before today." I hugged my knees to my chest, looking out at the rest of the park. I could feel his gaze on me. "It's not that big of a deal so…just forget it."_

_All of a sudden, the cup stared spinning and I looked up to see Ikuto turning the little wheel very quickly. He smirked. "Well? Are you going to join in or is it too much for you?"_

_I scoffed, grabbing the wheel and turning it at the same time as him. "As if!" I was so going to be dizzy by the end of the day, but at that moment, I really didn't care._

…

_I watched as Ikuto slipped out the back door, abandoning the party. I didn't blame him; Saaya threw the trashiest parties, and everybody at school knew it. They only came for the alcohol. Well, I came because Rima said I needed to get out more, and Ikuto only came because he said I was probably going to be jumped or something. Idiot; I wonder what I see in him sometimes._

"_Uh, I'll be right back," I said apologetically to my classmates, Yaya and Kairi, before following Ikuto. He was in the backyard, which was completely empty other than a few already passed out kids, and sitting by the poolside. His feet were dipped in the water, so I took off my own shoes and rolled up my jeans so I could join him. _

_We sat in silence for a few minutes, absently kicking our feet in the water. Finally, he looked up at the moon and asked, "Do you ever feel like you want to say something but can't because you know it will end up hurting you or someone else?"_

_I let out a bitter laugh, looking at the waves in the water. "Yeah, all the time. Why?"_

"_I don't know if she told you, but Ami and I got into a fight the other day," said Ikuto offhandedly. "Judging from your face, I guess not."_

"_W-what was the fight about?" I asked, trying not to feel annoyed. Ami and I were always so close, but lately she had been running to Utau for everything. Utau probably already knew about the fight and was consoling her right now. I guess it's not anybody's fault; I don't tell Ami certain things that Rima knows…but still…I'm her sister. Shouldn't I be in on this stuff? Then again, I'm clueless when it comes to guys so maybe Ami was dodging a bullet…_

_Ikuto chuckled, reeling me from my thoughts. "It was something stupid. She…she didn't want to make you her bridesmaid, even though you're sisters." He didn't look at me, pulling up one knee and hugging it to his chest. "I got annoyed that she would do that so we fought over how it was her decision and how she could be more considerate. I guess we just over reacted."_

"_Oh," was all I said, rubbing my arm as I kicked my legs gently. "Um, Ami already told me that she wasn't going to pick me. It wasn't anything personal…she just wanted something as major as this not to include me, since we've always been together. I guess she wants it to be her first act as an independent woman."_

"_Did she tell you that?" Ikuto asked, and I didn't understand why he sounded so angry._

"_No, but we're sisters and we can tell that kind of stuff about each other," I replied, startled when he gave me a fierce look. "W-what?"_

"_Aren't you the least bit offended by this?" He demanded. "I know people, especially you and Ami, like to be independent but you're sisters! You should always have your own interests, but you should also stick together-especially when it comes to such an important event!"_

_Now, I was becoming angry. "You may be right, but it's none of your concern! Stop making such a big deal out of nothing! I'm not offended by this at all! Would I have liked being a bridesmaid at my own sister's wedding? Of course I would, but it's her decision! If she wants to be different and show she can do things without her older sister constantly breathing down her shoulder like an annoying bug, then I won't stop her! I'm more or less angry about the fact that you're blowing up at me when I did nothing wrong!"_

_I pulled my legs out of the water and grabbed my shoes as I stood, spinning around and storming away as I ignored his calls. Jeez, what was his problem? Why did he get so offended by the fact that Ami didn't want me in her wedding? Most grooms are too busy smiling over the fact that they're getting married to even pay attention to that kind of stuff. _

_I really don't know what I see him._

…

"…_Ikuto?" I asked as we lied on the roof of his car, Ami and the others knocked out inside. _

"_Yeah?" He replied, his eyes still on the starry night sky._

"_What happened between you and your stepdad?" I asked, the question burning in my mind for the last few years. "I mean…I've always wondered, but you don't have to tell me…"_

_Ikuto remained silent for a few minutes before he sighed. "My parents met at one of my dad's concerts. He was playing the violin. They fell in love and had Utau and me. We were a happy family, playing with our dad's friend's kid, some guy named Hotori Tadase." He looked over at me when I gasped. "What?"_

"_Sorry," I apologized, looking back at the sky as I blushed. "I had dated a guy named Tadase in high school, but only because everybody thought we were good together. I didn't really like him anything more than a friend though, so I ended it soon after."_

"_Hm, well, that explains it," muttered Ikuto. "Anyways…one day, my dad went out to the store to buy flowers for my mom because it was their anniversary. This was when Utau and I were very young, so we didn't understand what had happened. Apparently, a drunk driver had slammed into his car and my old man swiveled off the road and into the frozen lake that was nearby. He died on impact." I reached over and took his hand, still looking up at the sky so I didn't see his expression. "…Utau and I only understood the fact that our dad was gone. She kept asking where he was, since she was only five, but no one knew what to say. Our mom was completely depressed and her better judgment left her once sane mind as she met this guy, Hoshina Kazuomi, and remarried so that somebody could look over us."_

"_What about Tadase's family?" I interrupted curiously. Ikuto chuckled bitterly._

"_Ah, Tadase's mother never liked us," he replied. "She would always get jealous over my mom because her husband once loved her, Souka-my mom, and she always said that my father and I were nothing but bad luck because of the way we played the violin…"_

"_That's awful," I exclaimed angrily. He squeezed my hand gently._

"_It's in the past," assured Ikuto. "Anyways, mom was always depressed and resting in bed because she was always sick. So…Kazuomi decided to act on Utau's interest on becoming a singer, which isn't surprising because he actually liked her…until she found out about how he would beat me." I gasped, tears springing to my eyes. "Utau, who had possessive brother complex back then, immediately blew up at Kazuomi and he started beating her as well. Though he did it mercifully since she still wanted to perform and he didn't want to raise suspicion. After several years, our mom finally snapped out of her depression and found out. She called out Kazuomi, calling the cops and having him arrested while she cried over how she had been. It's…not a happy past."_

"_But at least it's over, and you don't have to deal with it anymore," I said positively, squeezing his hand before pulling it away. It wouldn't be that great to my feelings if I kept holding the hand of my sister's fiancé. "So don't think about the sad past. Just keep reminding yourself of the beautiful future ahead of you instead."_

"_That was such wise talk from a little kid," stated Ikuto and I glared at him. _

"_I'm only a few month younger than you," I shouted and he placed his finger to his lips as I remembered that there were people sleeping in the car under us. "You're such a mean person, Ikuto, to make fun of me when I'm trying to cheer you up!"_

"…_Thanks," he stated quietly, making me strain to hear it. We stayed silent for a little longer before he asked, "What about you? What's the story behind that mask you always wear?"_

_I shrugged. "There's nothing major to it, really. I just…don't have good social skills so when I speak to people, I automatically slip into a nonchalant tone. Some people called it 'cool n' spicy' in elementary school and it just became a habit to slip on the mask so people wouldn't worry about my emotions. I…I never showed my true self to anyone until I became friends with Rima and Nagihiko, who see right through me."_

"_Anyone?" Ikuto repeated. "Not even your parents or Ami?"_

"_Nope," I replied, popping the 'p'. "Like I told you at the teacups, I always have to play the big sister character even though we're only a year apart so I let her be the childish one."_

"_So you've never had a real childhood," translated the violinist, looking at me skeptically. _

_I cracked my neck, my eyes still on the stars. Man, stars were really pretty when you paid attention to them. "Hm…I guess you could say that, but it's not a big of a deal." I sat up quickly, pointing at the sky suddenly. "Wow, look Ikuto! A shooting star, quick make a wish!" I automatically clasped my hands together and made a wish before it passed by, ignoring his chuckles. _

"_You're such a kid, Amu," remarked Ikuto as he slid off the car, forcing me down as well so that we were back on the ground. "What did you wish for?"_

_I shook my head. "Nu uh! If I tell you, it won't come true!"_

"_Well, I don't believe in that," stated Ikuto. "I wished to happily spend the rest of my life with the woman I love." He grinned, a sparkle in his eyes, and I felt my heart drop. Oh yeah. I had honestly forgotten that this wasn't a date, and that he was engaged to my younger sister…_

"_Oh, well, I'm sure you don't need to wish on a star for that since it'll happen anyways," I replied, getting into the passenger seat as he slid into the driver's one. _

_He started up the engine, effectively stirring up the sleepy occupants. "I'm hoping, but I do want to know what your wish was."_

"_As if I'd tell you," I scoffed, plugging in my headphones so that I could no longer hear him. _

_**Star light, star bright,**_

_**The first star I see tonight;**_

_**I wish I may, I wish I might,**_

_**Have the wish I wish tonight**_

_I wish I was free from this heartbreaking tragedy I call life._

…

I jumped as Dia touched my shoulder gently, jarring me from my trip down memory lane, and I realized I was crying. Su handed me a handkerchief, which I gratefully accepted.

"So…did you find out anything?" Yoru asked, leaning over the seat behind us. I sniffled, wiping away any stray tears.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I mean, there were times when Ikuto clearly showed his love for Ami but there were also times that I felt a connection between us. It could just be my imagination or something. I mean…why would he love me?"

"I know we just met and all, but I want to be that friend who literally slaps some sense into you," deadpanned Miki, earning head shakes from her sisters and fiancé while I gave her a confused look. "Look, Amu…this guy, Ikuto, obviously does care about you and feels comfortable around you…comfortable enough to reveal his abusive past, something you happen to know he didn't tell to Ami. Something like that? That definitely proves that he loves you."

"Yeah," agreed Ran. "If this was a movie, I bet this would be the scene right before the wedding and he confesses his undying love for you and proposes you to right there!"

Miki lightly hit the side of her sister's head, making her cry out. "Idiot, this isn't a movie."

"Well, it does sound romantic desu," reasoned Su. "An unexpected proposal are the best kind."

"I guess," admitted the blue haired artist.

"Uh," started Yoru, looking suddenly nervous. "Speaking of proposals…" He slipped out of the seats and stood in the aisle for a moment before getting down on one knee, taking out a small black box from his pocket. Miki's eyes widened while everybody nearby immediately cooed, including her three sisters and I. "Um, Amulet Miki, I remember first meeting you one day at the park where I was playing my violin. Nearly everybody there was asking for my autograph and girls were crawling all over me, nya, but I just wanted to take a nap on that bench. Then you came up and asked if you could draw me, looking as if you would be anywhere else. The fact that you weren't awed by me automatically made me interested in you, and I agreed. Soon, I asked you out and you agreed only if I would be quiet nya. That very moment was when I knew one, that I would never interrupt your drawing unless I had a death wish, and two, I was in love with you nya. Now, I'm asking you…will you marry me, Amulet Miki? Because I want to spend the rest of eternity with you nya."

"Say yes, Miki," yelled Ran, sounding overwhelmed. Su and Dia pulled her down, trying to scold her, but failed due to their own wide grins. I myself was grinning as well. Even when weddings remained a touchy subject, I couldn't help but feel joyful for the girl I just met a few hours ago.

"I…I…" Miki stammered, at a loss for words. Finally, she shook her head and pulled Yoru up. "Of course I will, you idiot!" Everybody cheered while the newly engaged couple kissed, Yoru slipping the ring on her finger. Her face flushed as she realized everybody was staring at them; Miki shoved him away and sat back down next to Dia.

"Idiot, why did you make it so…so public?" She hissed, crossing her arms as he kneeled down next to her.

"Well, I couldn't wait any longer, nya," replied Yoru calmly, kissing her hand on the armrest. She rolled her eyes. "I'll be right back, nya; the snack cart is calling me!" At her piercing look, he added, "Did you want something, dear?"

Miki rolled her eyes, shooing him with her hand. "No, just go and waste all your money on that cheap junk." Yoru grinned as he leaped up, kissing her cheek soundly.

"Love you, nya," he exclaimed before dashing away, leaving his fiancé alone with the rest of us.

"You guys are so cute," gushed Ran, squealing. "Man, I wish I had recorded that!"

"Can I bake your wedding cake, desu?" Su asked innocently.

"It's always the lovers that glow the brightest," remarked Dia, earning a shoulder slap from her sister for the innuendo. I merely smiled.

"I'm happy for you, Miki," I said honestly. "You two obviously love each other very much, don't you?"

"Very," agreed Miki quietly, still blushing as we bombarded her with questions. "Can we talk about something else? Like…like how nasty that storm outside looks? I don't remember there being anything about rain…" The five of us looked out the window, suddenly concerned about how dark the sky had gotten.

"Um," said Ran, looking frightened. "It's nothing serious, right?"

We were about to reply when the plane suddenly began shaking, earning startled cries from the passengers. The intercom came on and the pilot's voice rang through. "Due to the sudden storm, we are forced to initiate an emergency landing. Please do not panic."

"How can we not panic?!" Somebody screamed. "We're in the middle of the ocean, with no land anywhere!" This caused some people to panic as well but before anybody could try and defuse the situation, the door to the plane blew open and the windows smashed as lightning struck.

This caused a panic frenzy, several people already sucked into the strong winds pulling them into the sky. The smaller people were thrown out the window.

Dia, being the eldest, was trying to calm her sisters. Ran was having a panic attack, screaming, while Su looked ready to faint. I threw open the compartment and grabbed anything important from my luggage, several people still on the plane were doing the same. Meanwhile, Miki was shouting for Yoru as a frantic expression appeared on her usually calm features.

"Miki, calm down," shouted Dia, the first time I ever heard her raise her voice. She reached for her sister, who had started going down the aisle. "Miki!"

Miki walked too close to the open doorway and was thrown out, making Dia lunge for her sister while Ran and Su screamed before quickly following. The plane's wall ripped open even more as we went spiraling down, and I managed to grab my emergency kit that I had just thrown together before I was thrown out of the plane as well.

I don't know how to describe how I felt, other than my head was pounding and the wind was rushing around me as I fell something thousand feet from a smoking plane. I held onto my backpack, the straps somehow around my shoulders so that it wouldn't leave my person.

"AMU!"

I forced my head to turn against the pounding wind and I spotted Dia, holding hands with Miki, who was holding Su, who was holding Ran. Dia reached for me with her free hand and we forced our bodies closer so that I could reach, locking my hand with hers.

"Where's Yoru?" I shouted and Miki had tears in her eyes as she screamed that she didn't know. I simply nodded and we all exchanged looks, and I was surprised how close I had become with them even though they had been strangers when I boarded the plane.

If this was a movie, all sound would have been drowned out as a sad but powerful melody came on. We closed our eyes and kept our hands locked, five abnormally haired girls welcoming death with open arms as we got closer and closer to the unwelcoming looking waters.

Fate didn't have to take my wish so literally.

…

**Okay, I lied; I decided on making this a mini-story. It's nothing major, just a few chapters on all of this. **

**Anyways, I don't own Shugo Chara.**

**I hope that this was good…I'm supposed to be working on my English research paper and my biology project…but I got inspired, and I was on the roll when my homework reminder went off (yes, I have one, or else I would never get anything done). So I spent an extra hour doing this, spending around three hours coming up with this extra chapter.**

**I already have the rest of this story planned out, just to let you know. Also, shout out to AmuxIkutolover! She encouraged me to make this a mini-story, and I agreed since that was way too sad to be an oneshot! Thanks for coming up with the plane idea, which she came up with, so I give credit to her for that idea! **

**Again, I hope you guys liked it!**


	3. A Tragic Turn of Events

…

The murky waters were eerily calm, not a single wave as a flock of birds peacefully flew over. Even the sea life was still, not a sound heard.

And then…

My hearing began to work again as I resurfaced, gasping for air as disbelief filled my thoughts. I had miraculously survived…although, that didn't mean much if I was the only one. Where were the others?

"Help," said a person weakly, making me turn around to see a violet haired girl slightly older than I was. She was gasping for air and moving her arms weakly, sinking into the water. I swam over and grabbed her by the arm, allowing her to lean on me. "Thank you, thank you."

"No problem," I replied just as I heard several people call my name. I turned my head and was automatically relieved to see Dia, Miki, Su, and Ran swimming over. "I'm so glad you guys are alright!" My eyes widened as the girl slipped from my grasp, quickly grabbing her around the waist so she wouldn't drown. "Um, a little help?"

"I'm fine," coughed the girl, some of her strength returning as she gently kicked the water while distancing herself from me. "You guys are from the plane?"

"Yeah," replied Dia before introducing herself, the rest of us following.

"Kimura Rosalyn," introduced the violet haired girl, smiling tiredly. "I guess we should consider ourselves lucky and all, but…we're in the middle of nowhere."

"I can't even see the plane or any smoke," exclaimed Ran, peering up at the sky which decided to suddenly become sunny. "Oh sure, now the sun comes out! Where were you when our plane got damaged?!"

"Ran, yelling at the sky isn't going to do us any good," advised Dia calmly. "And Miki, I'm sure Yoru is fine; he was nowhere the back of the plane where the door was, and he's not small enough to fly out the window. I'm sure he landed with the other passengers."

"Yeah…yeah, you're right," said Miki, slowly calming down as she stopped frantically searching around them. "Okay, we just fell three thousand feet from a burning plane and landed in the middle of the ocean with no way to communicate with anyone. Now what?"

"I don't know; this wasn't in the girls' scout manual, desu," exclaimed Su, earning eye rolls from everyone.

"Why don't we start swimming towards that?" Rosalyn suggested, pointing at an odd shape in the distance. "It could be an island. I mean, it probably won't be anything but it's better than nothing."

"With or without any civilization, it's better than spending the night treading," agreed Dia. "Let's hurry before it gets dark."

We swam for a few hours, luckily not running into much trouble, but we were all pretty exhausted when the shape of the island finally came into place. We were only a mile or so away from the shore, and Su, being the youngest, was quickly running out of breath.

"I…I can't go any more, desu," she wheezed, stopping as she dropped her arms. Miki and I grabbed onto her arms before she could sink into the water. "Go…go on ahead…I just need a moment desu…" Her eyelids were fluttering.

"Come on, Su," I pleaded. "It's only a little bit more."

Suddenly, Rosalyn screamed from behind us and we all turned around. A big splash was heard and a wave of water blocked our vision, but we saw the fin. The color drained from all our faces as Rosalyn flailed around her arms. Su began coughing from the water that entered through her mouth.

"Go!" Rosalyn shouted frantically, already looking woozy as the water turned red. "It's too late! Just go!" She didn't get to say anymore as we began racing towards the island, the loud splash along with a muffled scream indicated that she had been dragged under.

"We have to get Su to the shore," ordered Ran, ahead of us since she was the most athletic. She looked over her shoulder and stopped, forcing the three of us to turn around as well. Su was still way behind, further from the shark attack site, but she was coughing and not swimming.

"Su," shouted Dia, swimming towards her. "Come on!"

The youngest Amulet sister gave us the saddest expression and Miki had tears down her face as she placed a hand on the ginger's arm, Ran stifling sobs while I had a horrified expression on my face.

"I love you," called Su weakly before her eyes shut, sinking under the water faster than the Titanic.

The four of us treaded in that water for several minutes, simply staring at the empty and heartless ocean as reality hit home.

Within the last few hours, we had lost connection with everybody else while Miki's fiancé was nowhere to be found, and had made a new friend. Within the last ten minutes, that new friend was attacked by a shark while a seventeen year old girl had drowned.

"We…we have to get to shore," said Dia finally, her voice cracking as she turned and began to slowly paddle her way to the island. Ran, Miki, and I could only follow as tears blinded our vision.

After a few minutes, we dragged ourselves to the beach where we walked about five feet from the water before Miki and Dia collapsed, already knocked out. Ran turned to me, looking frazzled and worn out. "We should…get some shelter…" She fluttered her eyes shut and fell next to Dia, and I soon felt my knees buckle as I tumbled to the sand.

Looking at the three sisters lying in front of me, I could only reach into my shirt and clutch the padlock Ikuto had given me as I shut my eyes.

…

_I sat up, groaning as I rubbed my head. What happened? Where was I? I discovered the answer to this question when I opened my eyes, recognizing the fact that I was in that tiny pink teacup. _

"_Why?" I asked myself as I climbed out, tripping over the bloody wedding dress I was wearing. For some reason, I wasn't disturbed by this. _

_The teacup wasn't in the amusement park; rather it was in a cemetery. How creepy…I hated cemeteries. I shuddered._

"…_Hinamori Ami…"_

_I spun around at hearing my sister's name echo through the air. There was nobody around and I shuddered again, rubbing my arms as I began to randomly walk around. I was careful to avoid stepping on any graves. _

"…_missing…no body…"_

_No body? What the heck? Did someone kidnap a corpse or something? Some people are so messed up. Why would anyone want a dead body anyhow? What would someone do it with it? Well, an obsessive weirdo might rape it or something but…_

"…_hide behind a mask of false feelings…"_

_Okay that I could relate to, I mused as I spotted a flash of light. I quickly ran in that direction, eager to get out of the creepy cemetery. _

_Suddenly, I hit the ground as I tripped over a tree root. I moaned as I looked up, seeing the glint of my padlock in front of me. What? How did it get there?_

_I looked up as I realized I heard footsteps, making me scramble to my feet. I somehow knew the figure couldn't see me, even though I stood right next to him as he kneeled down at the grave my lock was resting on. _

"_I'm sorry," croaked the figure, making me realize it was an elderly man. My heart ached for this man as I realized he was crying. He pulled out a single rose and placed it over the grave, next to the key. "Happy birthday, my love. I'm afraid I won't be able to see this grave anymore, but don't be sad, because I'll be joining you soon." Tears sprung into my eyes at this. _

_The old man smiled and stood, lifting a case I didn't realize was there. He opened it and pulled out a violin. "This last song is for you, my love."_

_As soon as he started playing, I recognized it at once as Ikuto's song and I spun around to read the name on the tombstone._

_**Hinamori Amu**_

_**1991 – 2013**_

_**Beloved daughter, sister, friend, lost lover**_

_**May she rest in peace**_

"_This…is my grave?" I asked quietly as the song ended, making me turn around. I watched, horrified, as Ikuto fell to the ground. I stood frozen as he crawled to the grave and rolled over to his back, taking the lock gently in his hands and holding it over his chest as he slowly closed his eyes. Tears fell down my face as I realized what was going on. "Ikuto!"_

"_I…I see you, Amu," he whispered before his breathing stopped. _

"_Me?" I exclaimed, now sobbing. "Why me? You're supposed to love Ami!"_

_I fell to my knees and shook Ikuto, apparently solid again. "Ikuto," I wailed, clutching his clothing. "Ikuto!" I shook him again and something fell from his coat pocket. I picked it up and nearly burst into tears again. The key…he had kept it all these years. "Oh, Ikuto…why?" I leaned down and rested my head on his chest, silently crying now. "Oh, Ikuto…why…why…why?"_

"_Because I love you."_

_I jolted, looking up and seeing another figure. This one I recognized right away and I sniffled before leaping up and racing towards him. Only, he seemed to be getting farther and farther away. "Ikuto!"_

"_Amu."_

"_Ikuto, come back!"_

"_Amu, please…"_

"_Ikuto!"_

"_Amu, wake up!"_

…

I sat up, coughing, Dia patting my back as my vision snapped into focus. "Oh…next time I get made fun of at the pool, I'll ask if they swam several miles in the middle of the ocean for hours with no sense of direction." It was then that the day's events caught up with me and my witty remarks died in my throat as I stared at the sea, now looking black from the night sky.

"Come on, Amu," said Dia gently, probably knowing what I was thinking, as she helped me stand. "Miki and Ran made a fire. Unfortunately, we don't really have a shelter but Ran managed to catch a few fish." She helped me sit down on the sand, noticing me shiver. "You may want to take off your wet clothes and dry them or you'll get sick, Amu."

"Yeah," I agreed as my body caught up with the rest of me, suddenly sore. I rolled back my shoulders, wincing, when I felt a tug. My eyes lit up. "My backpack!" I slipped it off, ignoring the pain I endured, and was grateful that I had been cheap that day at the store and got the lame waterproof bag. I zipped it open and if I hadn't been sore, I would have pumped my fists in triumph repeatedly. "Yes!"

Ran stirred from her sleep, mumbling, "What?"

"Ami always made fun of me for being that friend that over packed but this time it came in handy," I exclaimed, pulling out several extra clothes and a first aid kit that had come with the backpack. It was then that I noticed that none of them were anything more than their underwear and I blushed before tossing them some extra ones. I had no idea this much stuff could fit in here…too bad there was no radio or any kind of communication device though.

Dia looked into my bag and smiled. "It definitely came in handy," she agreed as she took out an oversized sweatshirt. "It's a good thing that we're all the same size. You still might want to change though." I nodded and grabbed a pair of denim shorts along with a black sweater to change into. "I don't think we need any shoes though, but at least you packed extra flip flops."

"Jeez, were you psychic or something?" Miki asked, but I could tell she was forcing herself to be snippy. The haunted look was still in her eyes, and I could tell Ran was having a nightmare as her body huddled up even more into a ball. Dia looked much older than she was, and I'm sure I looked no better.

"No…just irrationally prepared," I replied, handing her some clothes. "Here Ran…" The other pink haired girl looked up at me, shaking from her sleepiness as she stood and took the clothes I handed her. "Um, there's some extra…undergarments in there too."

They simply nodded and we all changed in semi-awkward silence.

Miki was wearing a dark blue tank top with a pair of my black skinny jeans, along with a pair of flip flops. The beret she had been wearing was long gone so her short blue hair fell over her shoulders, looking tangled. Ran was wearing a white tennis skirt (I heard the sport was popular in America so I bought one just in case) and a dark pink sweatshirt with a pair of dry socks, sticking to her soggy tennis shoes that were drying near the fire. Dia was wearing a pair of dark denim capris and a white and black striped T-shirt with a pair of flats that I weirdly enough stuffed in my bag. (Did I not have any clothes in my suitcase? Then again, I had packed last minute and I was crying at the time so I probably wasn't paying attention…)

"I…I think," I started, swallowing, after a few more minutes of tense silence. "I think we should have a proper burial for Su and Rosalyn. I think they would appreciate that."

Ran sniffled but nodded. "It wouldn't be fair to do it now…can we do it in the morning, when we explore the rest of the island?" Miki reached over and held her hand as tears fell down the sisters' face.

"We can't cry," said Dia firmly, wiping away her own tears. "Yes, it's okay that we're mourning…but Su would hate it if we cried over her. We have to smile…for her sake, and I'm sure Rosalyn would feel the same way." The three of us nodded. "We obviously won't get off this island any time soon, so let's make the best of it okay?"

"Right," agreed Miki, her finger running over her engagement ring that had miraculously stayed on. Or rather, she refused to let it go. I reached into my shirt and smiled at the lock Ikuto had given me. This, I decided, would be my motivation to get back home. I would make the best of the situation and do everything I could to get back home, where my friends and family waited.

And so…the adventurous island life began.

…

**I own nothing, other than Rosalyn.**

**So this chapter is a bit shorter than the first two, but I didn't want to put too much into the death scenes or else I would have started crying. Also, I didn't want to start explaining their island life and then cut it off so…I hope it wasn't bad.**

**I know, I know. Why would I kill Su? I can't make them all come out alive, unfortunately. Some people do need to die…I was going to make it Miki, but then I would have gotten yelled at for breaking apart another "meant-to-be" pairing. Okay, maybe I wouldn't but you all would be thinking it.**

**Yes, I know the death scenes could have been more descriptive and dramatic but again, I would have ended up crying and never finished it. I decided to be merciful to them (and myself) by making it quick.**

**And yes, Rosalyn did get attacked by the shark. Since it's in Amu's point of view, she wouldn't know the details, but Rosalyn had gotten her entire leg bitten off and was rapidly bleeding to death but managed to hold the shark off so that the others could get away. She gave up fighting when they were far away enough but was already half dead anyways since she had been extremely weak when she landed in the water (remember? She could barely hold herself up and had to be supported by Amu), and was eventually dragged under by the shark.**

**As for Su…she always seemed the weakest to me. Not in a bad way (don't get me wrong; I totally love Su to pieces because she's so adorable and sweet), just physically weak. So let's assume she had a weak body and the fall from something thousand feet impacted on her body. That, plus the water that she inhaled from being splashed, would cause a lot of damage. Su realized that there was too much water in her and she probably suffered some internal bleeding as well, so she decided to go on her terms rather than make it to land and then bitterly die. This is what Miki realized, and that's why she stopped Dia from going. **

**It was sad, I know, and I'm sorry about that. If this was in third person, which would be awful considering I refuse to be one of those authors that continuously change point of views (even though I did that when I first started on here), then all of this would have been explained. But like I said, Amu wouldn't have realized all this at first, especially during such a traumatic event. **

**Also…yes, Rosalyn is an OC of mine that some of you saw in **_**One More Night**_** as Ikuto's former fiancé and was hinted at in **_**Truth or Dare: Guardians' Edition (Plus a Cat and a Singer) **_**as Kukai's French girlfriend. Just wanted to clear that up in case any of you caught that.**

**If you paid attention to the name list in chapter one, there are two other names on there and they're both OCs of mine from **_**Titles Are Overrated**_**. You'll meet them next chapter, but there is no relation between any of my OCs and this story; before this story, they never met any of the original characters. **

**Whether or not they'll be the only OCs to appear is unknown…to you guys, at least. **

**And my friend says that Amu's dream made her cry. What did you guys think of the chapter?**

**Also, major thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! I really appreciate it!**

**Okay, wow, this is a long author's note…I'm shutting up now. Don't hesitate to tell me if you spot any mistakes!**


	4. The Mirror's Side of the Story

…

Ikuto dropped the remote, his eyes wide and jaw slacked as he stared at the television in shock.

Ami paused in her conversation with her parents as she noticed her fiancé's expression. "What is it, Ikuto?"

The blue haired male reached for the remote and turned up the volume, not answering the brown haired female.

"…_and then the plane went spiraling down in flames. This is the last footage we have of the missing airplane before the connection was lost."_

Midori, Tsumugu, Ikuto, and Ami all watched in horror as a newsfeed came on.

The doors were ripped open and somebody screamed as dozens of people stood up and began panicking. A blue haired male raced by, screaming for a girl by the name of Miki. He was dragged down to the ground by someone off screen. The footage changed to another part of the plane and a blue haired girl was screaming for someone by the name of Yoru before she was blown out of the plane. An orange haired girl yelled something unheard and dove after her, quickly followed by two girls with magenta and green hair. A few moments later, a pink haired girl was thrown out. Her honey eyes were wide with shock as she screamed. Then the screen went black, going back to the news anchor.

"_The authorities are out now, searching for the missing plane or any survivors. Rest assured, any news will be reported and displayed here and on our website. Let us pray for their safe return."_

Midori reached over and turned off the TV, shock in her eyes as her daughter burst into tears while her husband began wailing. Her soon-to-be-son-in-law was stunned, not moving as he stared at the dark screen in disbelief.

They were taken out of their shock by a pounding on the front door. Before anyone could move, the door was slammed open and Rima stormed into the house with tears staining her cheeks and hate burning in her eyes. Nagi was right behind her, looking distressed.

"I hope you're fucking happy," shouted Rima, throwing something at the blue haired male. He took it numbly, a confused expression on his features. "My best friend is gone and you're just sitting there, not knowing what hell she's been through! So I hope you're FUCKING HAPPY!" She burst into tears and turned back around, knocking over a lamp from the table as she ran out of the house. Nagi sighed.

"Sorry for that," he apologized. "We were getting ready for the wedding when the news story came on and she just lost it."

"What was Amu doing on a plane in the first place?" Midori asked, wrapping her arms around her daughter who sobbed into her mother's chest. "She said she was leaving for America tomorrow."

"Amu was leaving?" Ikuto asked, dumfounded. The purple haired male gave him a skeptical look.

"Yeah," he replied. "Didn't she tell you?" Ikuto shook his head in disbelief as Nagi turned to the Hinamori family. "Anyways, she decided to leave early for some reason. She booked a flight yesterday and left late in the evening. She didn't want to disrupt the wedding so she didn't tell anyone else other than Rima and me. Before she left though, she wrote a letter to explain herself…Rima and I already know what's in it because she was writing it as we helped her pack last night, but she wanted us to give it to you." He took a deep breath, swallowing hard. "I'm sorry…I have to go tend to Rima before she kills somebody." He bowed to the four people before leaving the house, picking up the lamp as he passed by it.

"What does the letter say?" Ami demanded, wiping her eyes as she escaped from her mother's grasp. Ikuto took crumpled letter and blinked. "Well?"

"It says to read it in front of everybody," he replied, his voice hollow. "I assume that means her other friends and yours."

"Well, my sister just got thrown off a plane," stated Ami, sniffling as she glared at her fiancé. "I think I deserve to know why she decided to leave early! I mean, why would she skip my wedding?"

Ikuto stood, glaring at her. "Maybe it's because she doesn't want to be there anymore than you want her to?"

"What are you talking about?" Ami snapped, her hands on her hips as her mother tried to defuse the situation while also trying to comfort Tsumugu. "Of course I want her to be at my wedding! She's my freaking sister! We've been best friends since forever!"

"Well, you haven't been acting like it," exclaimed her fiancé angrily. "First, you pull away from her and start running to Utau for everything while keeping her out of the loop about everything. Then you don't even pick her as one of your bridesmaids just because you wanted to seem independent? You haven't been a friend to her for years, and seeing you at a wedding you invited her to only because you're family wouldn't exactly help!"

"How…how dare you," sputtered Ami, her face growing red in anger. "Amu and I won't always be together for everything, you know! I grew up to accomplish my goals and found new friends, just like she did!"

"Did she really?" Ikuto shouted, disbelief on his face. "Have you ever seen her with anyone other than Rima or Nagi? Did she ever mention any new guy in her life?"

"No, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have other friends," yelled Ami, glaring at her fiancé. "If she did, she probably didn't find a need to tell me."

Ikuto took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Ami, even if you started distancing yourself from her, Amu still went to you for advice and to talk. She invited you to dinners and sleepovers, helping whenever she could with the wedding. And yet, not only did you turn down all of these attempts by your own sister, you practically ignored her. You began treating Utau like she was a better sister than your own, when really it was you acting like a horrible person." Ami looked as if she had been slapped. "If somebody asked Amu what her sister was like, she could talk for hours. I know because I had asked her about you before and she had nothing but memories to talk about. If somebody asked you to describe your sister, I bet you could talk for a while about your happy childhood but couldn't think of one time you two had been together since entering high school."

"What's your point?" Ami demanded, narrowing her eyes at the blue haired male.

Ikuto was strangely calm. "I'm going to read this letter, Ami…and I won't feel any more regret than I already do. Everybody was right, and I should have listened to them; we were rushing into things in our relationship, and we mixed up love and infatuation." Her eyes widened and Midori placed a calming hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"What are you saying, Ikuto?" She whispered before clenching her fists. "You are not breaking off this wedding!"

"Oh yes, I am," stated the violinist coolly, taking off his ring she had given him and placing it on the coffee table. "I thought I loved you, Ami, but I was wrong. It wasn't love, and if it was, it was with a different Ami because you're not the same radiant girl who clung to her sister and had a strong bond with. You've turned into somebody shallow and cold, and I can't marry somebody like that." He looked over at Midori, and then at Tsumugu crying silently on the ground. "I'm sorry to end things like this, but I can't hold it in anymore. I ended up picking the wrong Hinamori." Ami burst into tears at this.

"I knew it," she sobbed, falling to the ground. "I knew it…and I didn't believe it. How could you two betray me like this?"

"Maybe I betrayed you by loving another woman, Ami," said Ikuto coldly, obviously restraining himself. "But Amu didn't do anything wrong. She doesn't even know how I feel, and she was always supportive of us…so don't you pull her into any bad reputations when she's already gone." Ami glared at him as she tears blurred her vision, running out of the room while her father chased after her. Midori glanced at Ikuto sadly. "Sorry, Hinamori-sama, but…"

"Shh," whispered Midori, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I'm upset my daughter is lost, and that my other daughter's relationship just crumbled because of the raw emotions this event caused, but I'm not mad at you." She smiled knowingly. "I always thought you and Amu suited each other better, to be honest, but I didn't say anything because it wasn't my business. You don't need to worry about telling the others; I'll handle that. You sit here and read that letter…although I suggest you call your relatives because as I recall, wasn't that your cousin on the screen also?" Ikuto's eyes widened, this fact not yet acknowledged as his mind had been solely focused on the pinkette he had adored. "I will go and comfort Ami now, but you should know that I agree with you…Ami is not the same girl she was when you met her…but neither is Amu." Midori kissed his forehead before leaving the room, Ikuto slumping onto the couch in shock as he did.

His cousin…and the love of his life…both gone.

This finally sunk in as he finished the letter with tears in his eyes, the letter slipping from his hold as he cried into his hands. This was how the Hinamori family found him thirty minutes later when they came back out, taking the chance to read the letter themselves.

…

The crowd had tears in their eyes as they waited for the next passenger to walk out, the girl before running to her parents with tears in her eyes. They waited in anticipation as a figure stumbled out from the rescue plane, spotting his family at once.

His mother burst into tears and nearly collapsed while her husband wrapped his arm around her shoulders, smiling widely at his son. His aunt and uncle were in a similar situation while his cousins reacted differently. She didn't even wait until he was down the runway, racing to him and crying into his shoulder. He had a haunted expression in his eyes but gave a manly hug to his recovered cousin.

Their eyes met and had a silent conversation, the rescued passenger looking away and sighing.

"We need to talk, Ikuto," said Yoru tiredly, his older cousin not even paying attention since his amethyst eyes were on the plane. The violinist chuckled darkly, gaining the attention of his relatives. Then he dropped the bombshell the violinist had been anxiously waiting for. "Ikuto…Amu's not in there…she's gone."

Ikuto turned to his cousin, shock covering his features. "How did…you know…"

Yoru gave the older male an unreadable expression. "I met her on the plane…and she told me her entire life story, including how she felt about you. I think we need to talk."

Souka noted that her nephew sounded different. Before, he had always had a childish tone and added that infamous 'nya' at the end of every sentence. Perhaps it was the shock of nearly dying, but Yoru seemed more mature and he didn't wait for her son to say anything as he walked away.

"What happened?" Ikuto demanded as soon as they were home, resting in the living room with Yoru sitting directly across from him. Seeing everybody's eyes on him, Yoru sighed and disappeared to the kitchen to get a can of alcohol before sitting back down.

"I was going to America to open a concert for this band, as you know," he started, his relatives nodding. "I decided it would be an amazing vacation place for my girlfriend, Miki, and I. She felt bad about leaving her three sisters behind so I traded the first class tickets for five coach seats…there, Miki's eldest sister, Dia, met Amu who she had been sitting next to. Amu became quick friends with all four of them and because she had already slipped something, she told us about how she wanted a fresh start in America so she didn't have to wear a mask or fake a smile when she saw you and Ami." Yoru paused, sipping the alcohol as he stared at his cousin. "I assume you already know about her feelings?" Ikuto nodded slowly, on the edge of his seat.

"One of Miki's sisters, Ran, joked about how if life had been a movie, that would have been the scene before the wedding where you confessed your undying love for Amu or something…I took the time to propose to Miki, embarrassing her in front of everybody there." He smiled. "She accepted, calling me an idiot for making it so public. I kissed her hand and went to go find the snack cart while she sat with her sisters and Amu, who all teased her as I remember hearing." His smile turned to a frown, and he took another sip of his alcohol, ignoring his mother's weak protests.

"Then the pilot announced that we were going into a storm, and the next thing I knew, everybody was screaming and I heard something rip. I looked over and saw that the door to the plane had been ripped off and that we were spiraling down to the ocean. Obviously, my first instinct was to scream but then I remembered that Miki was somewhere on that plane and I had to find her. I started screaming for her and I'm pretty sure I heard her yell my name as well, but before I could do anything, I got shoved down to the ground by somebody."

"She was yelling for you," interrupted Ikuto absently. "They caught that on the plane's camera…she got blown out of the plane while searching for you and her sisters jumped after her and Amu got thrown out soon after." Yoru gave him an understanding look, handing him the can which he took gratefully while their parents exchanged looks. Utau looked sympathetic but was still miffed at her brother for dumping her best friend, so she tried to hide it.

Yoru had the saddest expression on his face, like a cat that had been kicked out of its home. "I went down with the plane, and we landed in the middle of the ocean. Luckily, the plane went out from the water and remained in mostly one piece. The remaining passengers, which happened to be a lot, and I lived off of the cheap airline food for several weeks somehow and it was actually pretty boring as we waited for help. As you know, help did eventually arrive and we were rescued. Unfortunately, I could not find Miki or anybody else…but from what you said and from how they acted around each other, I'm sure they all went down together…" He suddenly burst into tears, which was very uncharacteristic for him, but was not surprising. "Oh…Miki…"

Ikuto was never that close with his cousin, treating him like a small kitten that he didn't really want but didn't want to get rid of either, and they hadn't talked about anything other than how they enjoyed playing tricks and the violin. So it was surprising to the other five Tsukiyomi members when he walked the five feet distance between them and hugged the younger male, allowing a few tears to fall down his face as well.

"I know how you feel, Yoru," said Ikuto quietly into his cousin's hair. "I know _exactly _how you feel to have the woman you love suddenly wrenched away from you by the cruel hands of Fate." He closed his eyes and cried with his cousin for both of their lost loved ones.

The four parents exchanged looks again and quietly left the room to talk in private. Utau watched the two blue haired males comfort each other, a pensive look on her face as she suffered from an internal battle. She wanted to be there for her best friend but Ikuto was still her brother, and he was in pain now. He really did love Amu though, and she always made him smile brighter than anyone else could.

The blonde haired singer sighed quietly and walked out of the room, feeling conflicted as she left the two violinists alone to mourn.

…

Rima sat in the corner of her bed, hugging her knees to her chest as she stared out the window with a dead expression. She heard the bedroom door creak open but she didn't look at her cross dresser of a boyfriend (as she liked to call him at times).

The bed squeaked as Nagihiko sat down, pulling her petite frame onto his lap so that he could hold her. "Rima," he finally said. "It's been two months and you haven't left the apartment since the funeral…" He winced as the blonde elbowed him for saying the 'f' word. "Look, Rima, I don't want to think about it either…but Amu wouldn't want you to wallow up here like a zombie."

"My best friend is dead," said Rima flatly. "How do you expect me to react, Nagi?"

"Hey, don't say she's dead," said the purple haired male lightly. "They never found her body, remember? There might be a chance that she's still out there somewhere, waiting to be rescued."

"What are the chances of that?" Rima replied, finally turning around so that he could see her watery eyes. "Nagi…she's gone, okay? I want to believe that she's not, but she is and I have to accept that. Yes, maybe there is a chance she's out there somewhere but we don't know where. You saw the footage same as me; she was thrown out while the plane was still flying, so she could be anywhere. And this is assuming she survived all the dangers of the ocean." The blonde haired girl sniffled, doing her best not to cry. "I should have stopped her from going and just made her confess to Ikuto…if she did, he would have accepted and she would be here…"

"Whoa, hold on," interrupted Nagi, placing his hands gently on her shoulders and making her look at him. "Rima, please tell me that you haven't been blaming yourself for Amu's disappearance?" The expression she made told him the answer, and he cupped her delicate face. "Listen to me, Rima…it is _not _your fault Amu is gone, okay? You tried to convince her for years to confess but she always said no. She would have said no that last time too, and you know it. Ikuto could have confessed as well but he didn't. She could have confessed but she didn't. Listen to me, Rima, you could have tried to convince her all you wanted but you know that it would have been up to Amu in the end. She wanted to have a fresh start…and I think we can at least do her the favor of not crying over because you wouldn't want her to cry over you and you know she wouldn't want you to cry over her. She wouldn't blame you or anyone else…so stop thinking like that, Rima."

Rima was silent for several minutes, her topaz eyes locked onto his chocolate colored ones. Finally, she whispered, "Why do you always know what to say, Nagi? Why are you always here when everybody else gets fed up with my cold attitude and leaves?" Tears leaked from her eyes and she sniffled again as he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, still cupping her face as he looked at her with a half smile and a sparkle in his eyes. "Why Nagihiko, when I'm so mean to you?"

"Because Rima," replied the purple haired male softly. "I love you, and want to spend the rest of my life with you." Rima gasped at his proposal but was cut off by his lips before she could reply. Their kiss was salty, as they were both crying, but it was also very sweet because they were both with the person they loved the most.

And Rima no longer felt guilty. She was still upset by her best friend's situation, but she decided to be selfish in that one moment and focus entirely on the man she wanted to marry more than life itself.

But she would only admit it when he properly proposed.

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!**

**So…I want to thank AliceKat for giving me the idea of having this chapter in Yoru's point of view. While that's not exactly what happened, it did inspire me to write what was happening on the other side of this story. I hope it was satisfactory.**

**So…Yoru tells his family about what happened, though not in detail, and cries over Miki because he loved her and lost her right after proposing. Utau begins to understand why Ikuto did what he did and we see how he and Ami ended their engagement. I originally meant to make it peaceful and sad after they all read Amu's letter, but then I realized their emotions would be haywire after finding out about that so they just blew up at each other instead. **

**Sorry about making Su die last chapter guys. We'll return to the island life adventures next chapter (unless I get sidetracked) and see how they're doing on the other side. **

**To make up for all the emotional scenes, I added in some Rimahiko; I hope it was alright. **

**Thanks for the reviews, and I apologize if you're waiting for my other stories to be updated! All my focus is on this story at the moment. **

**Don't hesitate to tell me if you spotted any mistakes in this chapter, and thanks for reading! Only a few chapters left and then the story is over! **


	5. Sacrifice and Ask Was It Really Worth It

…

My eyes fluttered open and I squinted at the bright sun, standing and stretching my arms.

Three years; it had been three years since Miki, Ran, Dia, and I got stranded on this island. At least, we think it's been three years; it's hard to tell time here.

We stayed by the beach, building two small huts (Dia and I stayed in one, while Miki and Ran stayed in the other) nearby so that we could live a bit more comfortably. We lived well off of the island life, sticking to mostly fruits and fish. Our clothes were tattered and a bit more worn out than they were when we arrived, but they still fit and Miki had even managed to make some clothes out of the materials available on the island.

We each had our own little jobs on the island. Miki was in charge of making the clothes and creating maps of the island so that we wouldn't get lost. Ran and I were in charge of getting the food, though I stuck to picking the fruits while she hunted the animals since I flip out whenever I see an insect-nevermind a wild animal. Dia was obviously the leader and was in charge of building SOS signals and other ways to get off the island, helping everyone with their jobs.

I opened the door to my hut, Dia already up and about as she lazed on the sand. Ran was taking a run around the beach, like she did every morning, while Miki was building a sand castle.

"Morning," I greeted, sitting next to Miki after grabbing an apple from the woven basket near our fire pit. "What kind of castle are you building today?"

"Not sure," replied Miki, her engagement ring still on her finger. She refused to let go of it, and her sisters didn't understand even though they knew it was her way of sticking to sanity. I understood though…I still had the padlock Ikuto had given me around my neck.

"What about…a monument of your happiest memories?" I suggested and she looked at me in surprise.

"That's a brilliant idea," she exclaimed, already molding the sand. I smiled and stood back up, knowing she would be out of it for a while, and brushed the sand off my butt as I walked over to Dia.

"Hey," I said, making her open her eyes and smile. "What's the plan for today?"

"Hm, I'm not sure," replied the ginger haired girl, sitting up and supporting herself on her elbows as a pensive look crossed her features.

"Let's go swimming," shouted Ran as she burst out of the jungle, wearing a hula skirt and a dark pink tank top. Miki refused to make her a coconut bra, even though she asked nearly every day. "I found a super cool looking lake, spring thing with a _waterfall_! Let's go, go, go!" Before any of us could respond, she grabbed Miki by the wrist (making her cry out and curse as her sand mold collapsed) and then me, Dia giving us a look as she followed her energetic sister.

"Ran, you're going to die later," growled Miki as her younger sister dragged us through the jungle. "I was in the middle of creating art!"

The magenta haired girl glanced over her shoulder and beamed as we burst into a clearing. "That's nice and all, Miki, but is a dumb sandcastle worth twice as much as this?" She released us and held out her hands, allowing us to notice the crystal clear waterfall and spring that sprouted rainbows and colorful tropical life everywhere.

Dia, Miki, and I exchanged looks before we stared at the scenery with dropped jaws. Miki looked ready to collapse, her eyes lighting up as I assumed several painting inspirations popped into her artistic little mind. Dia placed a hand over her eyes as a shield, looking up at the bright and radiant sky with a smile on her lips. I was too stunned by all the colors and vibrant activity I saw.

Ran crossed her arms, looking smug. "So tell me, Miki, was it worth it?"

The blue haired artist stuck her tongue out before pulling out the container of paints she made from berries from her pocket, grabbing some of the leaves nearby to use as an easel so that she could paint the scenery.

Dia and I exchanged looks as Ran jumped into the water. "Come on," she called, waving her hand. "The water is amazing!"

Dia shrugged, looking amused. "Why not?" She jumped in, landing next to her sister, and I sighed as I joined them. It was funny how we had become such close friends under these circumstances.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

We looked up as somebody burst through the clearing. He had orange-red hair that reminded me of a sunset, and periwinkle colored eyes. He was wearing a pair of ratty shorts and a faded tank top, and he was holding a big stick like a weapon. All in all, he was very handsome in a boyish sort of way.

"Uh…hi!" Ran exclaimed, waving to the stranger, which earned groans from me and Miki while Dia simply chuckled. "Do you live on this island too?"

The boy looked confused as he lowered the stick. "Um…obviously…" He turned over his shoulder and yelled, "It's okay!" A moment later, a girl revealed herself. She had maroon colored hair with sea green and violet highlights, and midnight blue eyes that painstakingly reminded me of Ikuto's. She was wearing a dark purple bikini top with white skirts, barefoot as well as the guy.

"I told you this island had other people," she said to him before waving at us. "Hi, I'm Momozono Amorza and this is my boyfriend Hitsugaya Kei. We got stranded here after our plane crashed."

"That's what happened to us," exclaimed Ran, leaping out of the water. Dia and I exchanged looks as we followed, Miki standing from her spot in the grass. "When did you get here?"

"Uh…I'm guessing somewhere around…three years ago?" Kei exchanged looks with his girlfriend, who nodded. "Yeah, around three years ago. You?"

"Same," replied Dia as she held out her hand. "Amulet Dia…these are my sisters Ran and Miki."

"Hinamori Amu," I introduced myself, shaking Amorza's hand. "I met them on the plane before we crashed."

"Nice to meet ya," greeted Amorza kindly, smiling. "Hm, are you all hungry? We have plenty of food back at our camp."

"Oh, we have our own food but thank you," said Dia.

"Nah, come on," insisted Kei. "I mean, this is the first human contact we've had besides each other in years. Let us treat you and tomorrow you can treat us. Let's get to know each other better; who knows how long we'll be here?" We couldn't argue with that, and we followed them back to their camp which was across the island. No wonder we never noticed them before.

Soon, we were sitting on the ocean and eating the fish and fruit Kei and Amorza had in their stocks. We exchanged stories, each of us telling our backgrounds. Miki, Dia, and Ran even talked about how Su and Rosalyn died when we tried to get here. They were really sympathetic and promised to visit the shrine we had made the next day, which was really sweet considering they didn't even know Su or Rosalyn.

"So, I'm curious," started Ran as the sun started set. "How did you manage to keep your relationship alright all this time? The tension and stress must have been very hard on both of you."

"Ah, it was," agreed Amorza. "However, we've just known each other for so long and we only had each other for three years. We realized it would be very hard to survive on our own so whenever we argued, we tried to resolve it as quickly as possible."

"How did you meet, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked, licking the strawberry stains from my fingers.

"Oh, it's kind of a cliché story," laughed Kei, grabbing his girlfriend by the waist and pulling her into his lap. She blushed but only rolled her eyes.

"When I was seventeen, my parents took me to a cool resort in America as a way to make up for the fact that they were about to get divorced," started Amorza. "They wanted one last happy family memory before they split, and I moved in with my aunt since they decided it would be unfair if one parent got me. Anyways, the first day there I met this annoying kid around my age on the beach and I was already irritated and he was not helping."

"That kid would be me," interrupted Kei, smirking. "My dad had gotten married for the fifth time and decided to take me on his honeymoon when his new wife ditched him for this other guy. The old man decided to stay in his hotel room and I went out. The first thing I saw was this Goth punk sitting on the beach and I was going to let her be but then I noticed she looked as if she was going to cry so I figured must have had a lot on her mind, and I wanted to get that off her mind."

"Seriously?" His girlfriend craned her neck to look at him. "_That's _why you pissed me off so much? And I was not a Goth punk!"

"Yup," replied Kei cheerfully. "And yeah you were."

She rolled her eyes. "Anyways, after he did all these things to annoy me like splash water on me and try to cover me in sand, I started to yell at him and he just walked off. That still pisses me off, by the way. I decided then and there that I would make it my goal to get him back. The next day, I saw him on the boardwalk talking to this girl and I went up and practically sabotaged his chances with her by making me look like a distressed ex girlfriend. We basically had a screaming match after that, and we both stormed off."

"That night, I found a cool karaoke place and decided to play my original song on my guitar to release all the tension I felt from my dad's failing marriages," continued Kei smoothly. "He had never been the same after my mom walked out on us. Anyhow, I just went up there and sang because the place was so far down the beach and nobody I knew from school was there since we were in America."

"Only, he wasn't the only one who found that karaoke place," cut in Amorza. "I was so surprised and I felt kind of bad…so I went up there after him and started singing about how I couldn't deal with my parents and their continuous arguing."

"I nearly had a heart attack when I heard that beautiful voice, only to find out it was the same girl who had ruined my chances with the beach babe earlier," laughed the ginger haired male. "After she finished singing, we met outside and apologized to each other. We spent the rest of the night talking, telling why we were there and the story behind each of our songs."

"Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye eventually," continued Amorza. "At the end of the summer, we said goodbye and promised to keep in touch even though we both knew it wasn't likely, and we went our separate ways. A few months passed, and I was living with my aunt. It wasn't bad but it wasn't awesome either. So I snuck out one night to go to this cool club downtown because I heard my favorite band was playing. I was enjoying myself for the first time in a while when all of a sudden, somebody grabbed me from behind. Turned out it was Kei…imagine my shock."

"Yeah, who knew her aunt lived in the same neighborhood as my grandparents?" Kei exclaimed. "See, my dad had died in a car crash when he got super drunk so I went to live with them. I know it sounds twisted, but I'm glad it happened because then I wouldn't have met Amorza there."

"And as I nearly screamed my head off," stated Amorza. "I decided to get him back by playfully flirting, embarrassing him in front of everybody there. We did this until the end of the concert, where he took me outside and kissed me. After that, we became a couple and whatnot. After a few years of dating, we decided to take a vacation together back to that resort…and well, that plan went out the window when our plane crashed. And you guys know the rest."

"Wow, what a romantic and sweet story," gushed Ran, being the hopeless romantic she was. Not that Miki and I looked any better, swooning at the story while Dia simply chuckled at us.

"It is kind of sweet," I admitted when the couple blushed. "I mean…at least you had a good time at that resort and met each other."

"Yeah," agreed Kei, squeezing his girlfriend as he nuzzled his face in her neck. She giggled and playfully hit his head. He merely grinned before letting out a cough.

"It's not so bad, I guess," said Miki, looking glassy eyed as she fiddled with her engagement ring. Amorza looked sympathetic as Kei got up for some water, Ran volunteering to go with him.

"I'm sure Yoru is still waiting for you," she assured. "I mean, from what you told us about him, he sounds like the kind who wouldn't just move on."

"I know he isn't," replied the blue haired girl, hugging her knees. "But that's the thing; I _want _him to move on and not be so miserable." Dia reached over to side hug her.

"Don't worry, Miki," she said quietly. "I promise we will get back home so you can see Yoru and get married, so Amu can confess to Ikuto, and so Kei and Amorza can have their romantic vacation." Amorza and I exchanged looks, blushing brightly.

"What would be the point of that?" I murmured. "I mean, he and Ami are already married."

"Wouldn't it be better for him to know rather than keeping it in all this time?" Amorza asked and I simply shrugged. I opened my mouth to answer when a loud scream suddenly pierced the air. We all leaped up to our feet.

"RAN RUN!" We heard Kei scream as a thundering roar echoed, many birds flying out of their trees and squawking. Dia and Miki had dark expressions on their faces, looking terrified. I didn't blame them; they already lost one sister, could they lose another?

"RAN!" Dia shouted as Amorza called for Kei. We stared at the darkened jungle, the moon glaring down at us. A dark aura formed around us and I instantly knew that the save haven we had been living on for three years had just become a life or death arena.

Amorza looked ready to burst into tears. "I'm going in," she announced. Just as she stepped forward, Kei burst through and she nearly tackled him. "Kei!"

Miki was shaking, her eyes still on the dark jungle. "Where's Ran?"

"We…we were getting water when a panther came out," explained Kei, looking out of breath. He looked extremely pale and couldn't stand right. "We didn't see at first, but then Ran screamed because it had jumped on her and began clawing at her face and body. I managed to pull her away when the panther got distracted by your screams, but she was already bleeding a lot." He looked at Miki and Dia with a sincerely apologetic face. "I tried to carry her, I really did, but the panther was prowling behind us and…and she suddenly went limp in my arms." Kei had silent tears down his face. "I'm so sorry…she just lost so much blood…" Amorza hugged him tightly as Miki collapsed on the sand, Dia swaying while I trembled.

"Did…did she say anything before…" Miki cleared her throat, crying. "Before she…you know?"

"She said she wouldn't let it hurt any of you," replied Kei, hugging his girlfriend for dear life. Dia lost it; she burst into tears and began to wail. Miki couldn't even move, just staring out at the jungle for several moments before glancing at the ocean behind us. It was too soon to lose two of her sisters.

"Oh, Kei," sobbed Amorza, refusing to let him go. Kei was crying and looking at Dia and Miki.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly, heaving. I felt numb as I walked over and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"They don't blame you, none of us do," I assured him, feeling hollow inside. We had become so close over our stay here, even if she had her moments. It was just… "It's just that they lost both Su and now Ran in such a short time."

"At least…at least, she went down a hero," hiccupped Miki. "She let herself die so the panther would get her instead of chasing you and following you here."

We all nodded just as Kei began to cough hysterically. Amorza looked at him, a concerned expression on her tear stained face. He fell to his knees, coughing and looking even paler. Dia wiped her face, walking over to him.

"Kei, are you alright?" She asked. He began to nod when he suddenly began wheezing, falling limp in Amorza's arm. She looked ready to cry again.

"Is he…?" She asked quietly, looking horrified. Dia placed two fingers on his neck, checking his pulse.

"He's fine," she announced a moment later, and Amorza nearly collapsed. "He just happened to catch a very bad fever. It has to be taken care of right away or he'll get worse."

"We don't have any way to treat him though," said Miki, standing and looking out at the ocean with crossed arms.

"Um…there are some berries and a ripped shirt there," replied Amorza, nodding towards their stock pile. "I think you can use some as like a treatment or something." Dia walked over and looked over their inventory.

"There's nothing here that would help much," she admitted, picking up a little purple berry and squishing it in her hands. "But this berry should cool him down for a bit." She placed her finger on his lips, the juice dribbling into his mouth. I felt helpless, standing and joining Miki.

"I'm sorry this happened to you guys," I said quietly.

"It's not your fault," replied Miki, licking her lips. "We all chose to be on that plane, and the plane chose to crash. We chose to swim to this island in the dangers of the ocean, and the ocean chose to take our new friend and little sister. We chose to survive on this island instead of just ending it, and the island chose to introduce us to new friends and take another sister. Did I wish it didn't have to be like this? Of course I do, but it's not anybody's fault so there's no point in being angry." She held out her hand in the moonlight, staring at her ring. "I think it's finally time to let it go and accept that I'll never see Yoru again." She began to take off her ring when she froze, her blue eyes stuck on the horizon. I was confused, turning to where she was staring at, and nearly collapsed.

"A ship," I shouted, getting the attention of a semi-conscious Kei and his nurses, Dia and Amorza. "There's a ship over there!" Amorza leaped away from her boyfriend and grabbed some firewood while we all began to shout. She managed to make a flame and threw the burning stick into the nearby pile of firewood, creating a huge bonfire. We shouted louder and the ship honked, stopping. We waited, still shouting, and then we saw that the lifeboats were being brought down.

Amorza hugged Kei, Miki and Dia jumping around hugging each other, and I just stared out at the horizon. It was unbelievable. After so long, we were finally being rescued. I finally knew how the survivors of the _Titanic_ felt. But then I was reminded of the three losses we suffered, and thought if it was really worth it. If the ship had come twenty minutes before, Ran would still be here…but it was in the past, right? She wouldn't want us to be so hung up on her…this is what I told myself as the first lifeboat reached shore.

"Need some help?" The rower joked and I nearly fainted while Miki practically leaped into the boat. Dia and I exchanged looks before staring at him.

"Yoru?!"

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!**

**Please don't hit me! I'm sorry I killed off Su and Ran! *avoids flaming hate-balls from fandom* I'm sorry! It's a tragedy; I have to kill people! Nobody writes a story like this and has everyone come out alive!**

**On the upside, she died a hero and they're finally being rescued by a cruise ship like in the **_**Titanic**_**! And Yoru was there! Who else will be? Hm…**

**Only nine more days of school and then I'm home free for three months! Oh, summer, how I love you…**

**Sorry about not updating sooner! I still have to take a bunch of exams…ugh.**

**Anyways, I hope you liked it! Sorry if it was rushed or anything, and don't hesitate to tell me about any mistakes you found! This story is coming to a close pretty soon, just FYI.**

**See ya whenever I update!**


	6. Reunions and Fated Meetings

…

The boat nearly tipped over as Miki launched herself at her fiancé, bawling her eyes out as her normally cool and level-headed personality slipped down the drain. She was squeezing the life out of the poor soul, though he looked no better as he held her tightly.

"I feel like I'm missing something," remarked Kei groggily, leaning on his girlfriend as they walked over to the lifeboat.

Dia smiled, her eyes watery; it was a nice change to see joyful tears in her eyes for once since coming to the island. "That's Tsukiyomi Yoru…Miki's fiancé."

The blue haired girl suddenly pulled away, holding her lost lover at arms' length. "That is, if you haven't moved on. I mean, I don't blame you and if you did Yoru but I just want to know." Yoru replied by cupping her face and kissing her gently but passionately.

"I would have rather died than marry somebody else who wasn't my little Miki," he murmured, making her blush slightly. The rower from the second lifeboat made a gagging sound, but was smiling.

"Come on, Yoru," he exclaimed. "I know you're happy to see your bride, but I think she would appreciate being with other people for the first time in years…and a shower, I'm sure." He winked at Miki, and she blushed.

"He's pretty cool," she remarked, earning eye rolls from everybody. We all knew about her bad habit of crushing on nearly every guy she thought was 'cool'. Yoru turned to us, as if seeing us for the first time, and he grinned.

"Hey guys," he greeted. His topaz eyes scanned over the group and his face fell. "Where are the others?" The joyous mood instantly collapsed and we all turned somber.

"It's a long story," whispered Miki. After a moment of awkward silence, the other rower cleared his throat.

"We really should get you guys on the ship," he said carefully. "If you have anything of value that you want to bring, you should get it now…"

"Our stuff is on the other side of the island," I pointed out. "And it's not safe to go into the jungle, especially at night."

"I'll go with you, if it helps," volunteered the stranger. Dia automatically stepped forward.

"No way you're going," she said to me. "I already lost two sisters; I'm not losing my new best friend either." I was too stunned by this to reply as she turned. "I'll go, okay?" She started to walk off and the stranger followed her.

"Who was that guy, by the way?" Miki asked curiously.

"Oh, that was Fujisaki Rhythm," replied Yoru. "He and his sister, Temari, are taking a cruise to take a break from their basketball and dancing careers."

"Fujisaki?" I questioned, feeling faint. "That's…that's Nagi's last name."

"It's a small world, considering my family," remarked Yoru, grinning. "You two still haven't introduced me to your two new friends, by the way."

"Oh, sorry," I exclaimed, blushing. "Uh, Yoru, this is Momozono Amorza and Hitsugaya Kei; we met them just today. Guys, this is Miki's fiancé and our good friend, Tsukiyomi Yoru."

"Tsukiyomi?" Kei raised an eyebrow as he slowly sat in the lifeboat, allowing his girlfriend to get their things since he still looked ill. "As in the relative of the Ikuto guy you told us about?" If possible, I blushed harder; nobody's made me feel this embarrassed since…well, Ikuto.

"Yeah, we're cousins," replied Yoru, smirking at me. His fiancé was not helping at all, and I'm sure Dia wouldn't have done anything either if she was here. Speaking of which, they had been gone for a while. The walk from our place to the spring had only taken five minutes or so, and the walk from there to this side had only been fifteen.

"Do you think they're okay?" I asked worriedly. "Maybe we shouldn't have let them go alone, especially after what happened earlier; that panther could still be out there…and other dangerous things."

"Panther?" Yoru repeated, furrowing his eyebrows. "What do you mean? What happened earlier?" We looked at Miki, who inhaled deeply before quickly telling her fiancé what had happened to the other two Amulet sisters and our short-time friend.

At the end of the sad tale, Yoru looked like a kicked kitten. He had been close friends with the Amulet sisters, after all. "I'm so sorry…I can't believe this…" He turned to his fiancé, holding her close as the waves gently swayed the boat. "I know this sounds twisted, but I'm glad it wasn't you." Miki kissed his cheek softly.

I felt more or less awkward, so I turned to go help Amorza pack her and Kei's things (which wasn't a lot, to be honest). All of a sudden, a scream pierced the air and something cold gripped my heart as the color drained from Miki's face.

"This is not happening," she muttered before jumping out of the boat, racing towards the jungle. Yoru was right behind her, but they stopped as we heard laughter. "What the hell is going on in there?"

We anxiously waited for a few minutes, and then Dia came out. She was smiling and it looked as if she had been crying.

"What happened? Where's Rhythm?" Yoru asked. She simply pointed at the forest, laughing as tears fell down her cheeks. A moment later, Rhythm walked out with a magenta haired girl on his back. Her eyes were open and a wry smile was on her lips.

"I told you I wouldn't let that jackass panther get to you," she said quietly, and Miki burst into tears while Kei let out a shuddered breath of relief. She leaped out of Yoru's arms and nearly tackled Rhythm as she tried to get to her supposedly dead sister.

"You sure are hard to get rid of," I joked, wiping away my own tears. "I'm glad you're okay though."

"I'm glad too," laughed Ran, though it was obvious she was in pain. "So I heard we're finally being rescued?"

"Yeah," replied Kei as he wobbled over, grinning. "Hey, Ran; I'm sorry I…I left you."

Ran winked as Rhythm set her down on the lifeboat, along with my backpack (that somehow managed to survive all this time) and other assorted items. "Hey, if you didn't I wouldn't have managed to get that damn panther. It serves him right, you know, to try and get me down without a fight! I mean, I lost a lot of blood but it's a good thing I paid somewhat attention when Su made me sign up for Girls Scouts' First Aid Training!"

Amorza gave her a gentle squeeze, looking relieved as she placed her and Kei's things into the lifeboat as well. "I'm really happy you're alive, Ran. Now we can go home at last."

"Home," I repeated as we all boarded the lifeboats. Miki, Ran, Kei, and Yoru were in one while Rhythm, Amorza, Dia, and I were in the other. "It's been such a long time; I wonder how everybody is."

Yoru glanced at me from across the water, a sad smile on his lips. "They were all heartbroken when the news came out, you know Amu. I heard that Rima girl blew up at Ikuto when she first heard." I sighed, pinching my nose even though I felt tingles at the mention of my best friend. "Also…Ami and Ikuto broke off the wedding after hearing about your…disappearance." My head shot up and I stared hard at him.

"What?!" I exclaimed, standing up only to be brought back down by Dia. "What do you mean? I mean, why?"

Yoru shrugged, rowing the oars towards the ship. "He refused to tell me any details, but I heard that they just let their emotions go haywire and they blew up at each other."

"So I broke them up?" I asked, horrified. He frowned at me.

"Of course not," he stated. "You weren't even there, Amu. Your disappearance just made them realize some things about themselves. In a way, you saved them from a marriage that was doomed from the very start. To be honest though, I didn't pay all that much attention to their relationship since I was stuck in the middle of the ocean and then spent the next three years thinking about how I lost the only girl I really loved and her three sisters that I considered family." Miki rubbed his arm, looking just as miserable at the mention of them being separated for so long. "The only thing I heard about was how Ikuto broke down at your funeral, though everybody refuses to talk about what happened, and how he bought this locket. He didn't do anything with it, unless you count taking it to an abandoned amusement park and leaving it there on purpose in the teacup ride." He turned to me. "Does that mean anything to you?"

I didn't realize I was crying until Amorza touched my arm, my hand clasped over the lock around my neck. "Y-Yeah, it does…thank you, Yoru." He smiled gently at me as he nodded, just as we finally reached the cruise ship. The crew helped us on board, the captain personally offering free rooms for us to stay in. We took it graciously, all but Miki who unnecessarily said she was staying with Yoru. She wasn't even ashamed as the couple practically ran away, without a doubt to make up for lost time.

"Those two are something," giggled Ran, which is all she managed before she was whisked away by the paramedics. Dia sighed as she announced she was going to follow her.

"Uh, yeah, I should go too," added Rhythm, his dark purple eyes occasionally shooting over to where Dia had walked off. I couldn't help but smile. Their confident and positive personalities suited each other.

"You know," I started, smirking. "She doesn't have a boyfriend back home, and she thinks highly of you for carrying her baby sister back to the beach." Rhythm's eyes lit up and he grinned.

"Thanks," he replied, already jogging after his crush. "It was nice meeting you, Amu!" I giggled; Dia definitely deserved some love.

It was then that I realized the looks people were giving me, and I looked down at my ratty clothes before catching a whiff of something foul. To my disgust and horror, I realized it was me who smelled so badly. I grabbed the room key one of the crew members handed to me and raced off, desperately needing a shower.

I couldn't help the jittery feeling I had though, a smile on my lips as I burst into the room (completely ignoring the superb décor) as I tore off my lame excuse for clothing, and embraced the steaming hot water the shower offered.

I was finally going home.

…

We met later that evening to have dinner, all looking extremely refreshed (although Miki and Yoru were red, and looked slightly ruffled). To my (and apparently Ran's) delight, Rhythm and Dia were sitting next to each other. He kept smiling at her, though in a kind way rather than in a creepy way, and she kept blushing as she avoided his gaze. Even Ran met this guy who she had literally crashed into earlier. His name was Souma Daichi, and he seemed like a good guy.

"You know, Ran," said Dia, staring at her younger sister who was arguing with Daichi about the best soccer team in Japan. "You really should be resting; you were severely injured."

"I should also be on Hoko University's cheerleading team, but I got stranded on an island instead," she replied as Daichi flicked a pasta noodle at her, landing on her nose. "Hey, you'll pay for that!"

"She has a point," remarked Miki, finally breaking from her heated silent conversation with Yoru. "What will we do when we get back? I mean, Dia and Amu are fine since they already graduated college. Yoru and I were going to a performing school in France after his concert in America, and Ran had just started college while Su…Su was in her senior year of high school."

"I guess we'll just have to continue with that," replied Dia, shrugging. "It's best not to let all of this traumatize us and block us from following our dreams. Like the dreams Yoru has of becoming an internationally famous violinist like his cousin, or like the ones Miki has of becoming a world famous artist. Ran has a dream of winning all the world records at the Olympics, and I have a dream of becoming a singer." She smiled. "And Su wanted to become a professional cook."

"I have a dream of breaking all the records too," exclaimed Daichi, winking at the magenta haired girl who blushed. "I guess it's a race to see who can outdo who."

"I guess so," agreed Ran.

"I have a dream of becoming a professional basketball player, but I also think it would be cool to do something in the music industry like DJ or something," added Rhythm, glancing at the ginger haired girl. She shyly looked away, a slight pink tinge on her cheeks. "Maybe I'll meet a talented singer who will want to work with me."

"Maybe," murmured Dia, sipping her wine. "What about your sister, Temari?"

"She wants to become a traditional dancer," replied Rhythm. "We take after our cousin, who did both basketball and dance."

"Nagihiko?" I asked, and he looked at me in surprise. "Yeah, you were right Yoru; it is a small world. Nagi is one of my best friends and happens to be dating my other friend, Rima."

"Oh yeah, they finally got engaged," replied Rhythm and this time it was my turn to look surprised. "He proposed about a year or so after your disappearance, I heard, because she was still really depressed and even blamed herself. From what I heard, she refused to accept the proposal at first because she didn't want to 'marry a cross dressing weirdo'." I smirked at that; some things never changed, I suppose. "And also because she was still depressed and thought she didn't deserve happiness. Finally, she came to her senses and agreed to marry him. They announced the wedding just before Temari and I left for the cruise."

"That's great," I exclaimed happily, clapping. "I'm still going to have to smack some sense into her though."

"Anyways, back to the previous topic, what's your dream?" Rhythm asked me, and I paused.

"I'm not really sure," I admitted after a few moments. "I mean, before everything, I would have said my dream was to move on from my silly Cool n' Spicy façade and my unrequited love with Ikuto but now…I guess my only dream right now is to be with my family and friends again."

"That's good," replied Miki as the waiters cleared our table. "Well, it's getting late; we really should be getting some sleep…after all, it'll be the first good sleep we've had in three years."

"You must be especially tired after your little reunion with Yoru," remarked Ran nonchalantly, earning bright blushes from the couple as they scampered away. "Meanwhile, I'm going to go play some shuffleboard…it's the only sport the doctors will let me play until I heal and see an actual doctor at the hospital."

"I'll go with you," said Daichi, waving goodbye as he helped Ran stand and led her away from the table.

"They make a good couple," noted Rhythm as he stood, stretching his arms. "Hey, Dia, you said you wanted to be a singer right? There's a cool karaoke place on the ship if you want to check it out."

"Really?" Dia asked, her eyes lighting up. "Sure!" She walked away with him, leaving me alone. Kei had been diagnosed with a high fever and was ordered to rest, though unlike Ran, he was staying in bed courtesy of a demanding Amorza. She chose to stick by his side.

I sighed as I too stood, deciding to take a walk. The ocean looked really pretty in the moonlight, and I was reminded of Ikuto's midnight blue eyes. Oh, one would think I'd move on after so long…

I reached for the locket around my neck as I leaned against the railing and dangled it from my fingers, careful not to drop it. It sparkled brightly and I smiled sadly as I wondered if he kept the key all this time.

"That's a beautiful locket," said someone to my right, sounding wistful. "It reminds me of this necklace my ex boyfriend got."

"Yeah?" I asked, not looking at her. She sounded old, or at least like she hadn't spoken in a long time. "One of my best friends got this for me, and I really treasure it since I fell in love with him."

"He must be a lucky guy," replied the stranger, also leaning on the railing to look up at the sky. I chuckled bitterly.

"He's not mine, unfortunately," I said. "He ended up picking my sister, never knowing about my feelings, and so I left for a while. I'm only just now returning home, and I learned that they had broken off their wedding shortly after I left."

"Something similar happened to me," said the stranger, her voice broken as she started to cry. "I fell in love with this guy and we were going to get married, but he ended up breaking it off because I had turned bitter and shallow over the years of our relationship. Not to mention, he ended up falling in love with my older sister." She chuckled darkly, shaking her head. "I admit I was extremely pissed at him and blamed my sister, who wasn't even at fault since she was nothing but supportive even though I kept pushing her away. After a while though, I saw his point and realized how the dark world of performing changed me. It was too late though, and I lost the most important person in my life…my onee-chan." She started to cry and I finally looked at her, the story piercing my heart. Although, it sounded oddly familiar as did her voice.

"I'm sorry," I replied, not knowing what to do. She shook her head.

"It's not your fault, or anybody's," she said. "I just miss her so much…and I regret pushing her away so much." She seemed to be talking to herself now, and I slipped the locket back around my neck as I decided it was best to let her be. "I was such an idiot, and he had every right to blow up at me…especially after how I reacted from that stupid letter she left…"

Okay, now I knew who it was.

I grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around, her teary golden eyes meeting my matching ones. She gasped and burst into tears as she leaped into my arms. I cried on her shoulder, holding my little sister close to me.

"I'm so sorry, Amu-chan," sobbed Ami, holding me like I was going to disappear again.

"It's okay, it's okay," I assured her, petting the back of her hair as tears flowed down my face. "I'm sorry too, Ami…I love you…I'm sorry, and I love you."

"I love you too, onee-chan," cried my younger sister as we both fell to the ground, refusing to let each other go. It suddenly didn't matter what my dream was or how everybody was going to react.

All that mattered that a part of my heart had healed and I finally had my baby sister back.

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara.**

**Okay, okay; I couldn't kill Ran. I mean, I could have and been perfectly content, but I decided to be cliché and make her live. Hope it wasn't too bad. Unfortunately, Su remains dead. **

**So…I bet you guys were expecting to meet Ikuto, right? Nope, sorry; not happening right now. Amu has her sister back though, and Ami realized how she had changed. **

**Don't worry, don't worry; you'll learn how she (and her parents) reacted to Amu's letter and how she got over her tantrum. You'll learn of how Utau comes to be and whether or not she got her pride handed her to by Kukai. I'm not entirely sure though; I really don't like Kutau all that much, to be honest.**

**So…Miki and Yoru are finally reunited and make up for lost time…if you know what I mean…*grins wolfishly***

**Also, we see a blooming romance between Daichi and Ran, and Dia and Rhythm; how exciting! Oh, and I answered the question about how another lock appeared next to the key in Chapter One. I had to seriously think about that since I never planned on making this a story (damn, you guys are persuasive; I can't ever just have a tragic oneshot without you guys requesting a happy ending, can I?).**

**I hope you guys liked it though; sorry it was mostly a filler chapter. Don't hesitate to tell me about any mistakes you found!**


	7. A Needed Heart to Heart Talk

…

I finally pulled away from sister after a few minutes and held her at arms' length, afraid she would vanish if I didn't, and really looked at her.

She didn't look anything like the vibrant character she was three years ago. Her skin was much paler and much rougher than it should have been. Her hair, once filled with volume and life, was flat and greasy looking like she hadn't washed it in a while. She was dressed in dark and baggy clothes, which was the opposite of the rainbow trout sparkly designer clothes she had treasured so much. Not to mention, she looked much thinner-as if she had been the one stuck on an island with limited food and not me.

It was her eyes, though, that made my heart clench. We shared the same colored eyes but mine had always been cold and distant, which was the opposite of her sparkling and inviting ones. When I looked at her, her eyes were empty and dark like she no longer saw any light.

"Ami," I whispered. "What happened?" I was referring to what happened to her, but I was also curious as to what had been going on since I was gone. Luckily, she seemed to understand that.

Ami sighed as we sat at one the tables, still holding onto me as if she was also afraid I would vanish again. "Well, after you left…and left that letter, as I'm sure you know, Ikuto and I broke off the wedding. And before you say anything, it wasn't because of you; I had become somebody I wasn't over the years, and he had been afraid to say something about it because he didn't want to hurt you."

"Why would that matter?" I interrupted, confused. My younger sister looked up at me, giving me a look. "Okay, sorry, sorry…continue."

"I was really depressed after that, and I refused to talk to anyone-not even Utau or Yaya-for a long time," said Ami, sighing again. "Mama and Papa tried to help, but I didn't listen to them. I wasn't even angry at Ikuto; yes, I yelled at him when he broke off the wedding, but I was more upset at myself than I was at him. Deep down inside, I knew he was telling the truth but…" She cut herself off, laughing. "You know how stubborn I can be; I get that from you, you know." I smiled at her. "Anyways, I was finally coming to my senses the day Ikuto's cousin came back. Utau came and told me that she saw the love for you in Ikuto's eyes…" She looked up at me, her eyes watery. "He really loved you, Amu, I hope you know that." She looked away again, breathing deeply. "I wish I could say he still felt the same way, but to be honest, I haven't been keeping in touch with him at all so I don't know."

I wanted to yell at her for not knowing, wanting to shout if she knew what my poor heart had been through, but I knew I couldn't. "It's okay, Ami; you were going through a lot," I assured her, squeezing her hand. "And I guess it's only fair since I ran away in the first place with no intention of keeping in touch either."

"Yeah, but that was because you were hurt," argued Ami. "Anyways, you should have at least talked to Mama and Papa before you left instead of leaving a letter; they were really hurt by your disappearance."

"How are they?" I asked worriedly.

"Oh, they're fine now," replied my younger sister. "Papa naturally had a meltdown when you left that letter, and we learned about the plane crashing. He refused to let me leave his sight for weeks after that, so thanks." Her eyes had a glint of mischief in them, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "Mama was much calmer, but she was still heartbroken. She would continue living like she did before, but there were times when she would just become a ghost or start crying. That letter you left, saying that they didn't know the real you, didn't make things any better."

"So where are they now?" I questioned, feeling guilty for putting my own parents through that.

Ami smiled. "I said they're fine; they're still really sad but they're doing better. They live in the same house; you know, they haven't even touched your room. They tried to pack it up, a few months after your funeral, but they couldn't do it so they left your room exactly how it was when you moved out."

"Still?" I raised an eyebrow. "There's nothing in our childhood home that I didn't bring to my apartment."

"It's still your room, with the pink walls and heart decorations," replied Ami nonchalantly. My eyes widened.

"Papa still hasn't repainted the room?" I exclaimed. "I know he treasures us dearly but seriously?!" My sister giggled softly before she froze. "You haven't laughed in a long time, have you?"

Ami sighed. "No…no, I haven't; to be fair, no one really has. I know you felt like a background character for a long time, Amu, but in reality you were the star of this whole show. Neither of us realized that though." She looked up at me. "Anyways, I'll leave all that lecturing to Mama and Papa; I assume you want to know about Rima and Nagi?"

I nodded. "I heard they're engaged now?"

"Yes, but Rima keeps putting it off since…well, she won't say but I think it's because she doesn't feel right getting married without you there," replied Ami. "After all, it was you who set her and Nagi up back in high school."

"Well, it was a bit awkward being friends with both of them when they kept glaring at each other all the time," I remarked, laughing nervously as I remembered how tense our friendship was back then. "Oh, yeah; how are Yaya and Utau?"

My sister looked confused. "Huh, why would you ask about them? No offense, Amu, but it's not as if they were your friends."

"Oh, I know," I replied, rolling my eyes. "But they're your friends and I have a feeling that your friends wouldn't let your rot away like this. I know I was really oblivious to lots of things but even I can tell that you haven't been taking care of yourself and probably only went on this cruise because Mama and Papa made you."

"Well, I guess it's pretty obvious if you can see it," muttered Ami, sticking her lower lip out.

I laughed. "No, I just know my own sister." A guilty expression crossed her features and she looked down. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she replied unconvincingly. "Anyways, Yaya is doing fine but she was really hurt by your disappearance. Even though she mostly hung out with me, she really looked up to you. In fact, last month she told me that she had always wanted to be your friend but was scared you wouldn't like her since you were two years apart."

"That's silly; she's a fun girl that would have been a great friend," I interjected, surprised by this revelation. "So what's she doing now?"

Ami rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't see her often because our friendship took a hit after a while…but last I heard, she got married to one of her old classmates, Sanjo Kairi, and became a daycare teacher while he's a businessman for the company Easter."

"I remember Kairi; he confessed to me one time back in high school," I said pensively, leaning my chin on my hand. "He's a good guy; I know they'll be really good for each other." I then remembered my sister's other best friend, and even though I knew I shouldn't feel jealous, I was. "What about Utau?"

Ami chuckled. "You know, I think she was more upset about the breakup than I was. She refused to speak to Ikuto for the longest time; or if she did speak to him, it was to try and convince him to get back together with me. I finally told her stop and she stormed off, saying I was just in denial or shock or whatever." She shook her head. "She's so headstrong and stubborn; I don't understand why we were even friends."

"She's a good person," I said absently, earning a shocked look from my sister. She obviously didn't think I would defend the girl who had practically taken my role as Ami's older sister. "I remember that even though she could be really intimidating and cold, she also had her sweet and vulnerable moments…especially around Ikuto. Did you know Utau had a brother complex?"

"What?!" Ami exclaimed, her eyes as wide as saucers. "No, how do _you _know that?!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her priceless reaction. "Ikuto told me; she didn't want you to know since you two were together, but she had been in love with her brother since they were little."

"Jeez, you're supposed to be the clueless one," remarked Ami, slumping in her seat with shock written all over her face. "Well, I'm not surprised that Ikuto told you. He still hasn't told me about his past, like you suggested in your letter. All he said was that he didn't have to explain himself twice."

I crossed my arms, grumbling. "That little…"

"I don't blame him," cut in Ami softly. "He just didn't have the same trust with me as he did with you. I'm sorry I practically took him from you." She shook her head, holding up a hand when I began to protest. "Don't start, Amu; I knew, deep down inside, that it was you that Ikuto loved but I guess…" She sighed. "Well, Amu, you were so brilliant and radiant. You got anything you wanted; you had everything."

I scoffed, thinking my sister was completely insane. "Like what?"

"You were so popular and all the boys wanted you back in school," explained Ami, looking as if I was stupid. "You had some of the highest grades in every subject. You were pretty much a prodigy at things like sports and cooking, and art and singing…Mama and Papa were so proud of you, constantly bragging about you to everyone in front of me…you didn't even have to try, and I was so jealous of that…I guess, for once, I wanted something you didn't have. Maybe that's why I was so focused on pushing you and having Ikuto. Yeah, I loved him, but…" A shameful expression crossed her features. "I…wanted to show that I could do something you couldn't, even if it was having the coolest guy as my fiancé."

I couldn't help it; I burst out laughing, not believing what I was hearing. Ami looked completely surprised and utterly confused, which made me laugh harder. Tears were running down my face; this was so unbelievable.

Finally, I calmed down and wiped my eyes. "Sorry about that, but you have it all wrong there Ami. I was definitely _not _a prodigy; the only reason I could do well in those subjects was because I worked hard to outshine _you_." Ami's eyes widened, her jaw dropping in surprise. "You were always the popular one, not me, and I can't think of any guys that confessed to me once."

"Well, yeah, because you always coldly rejected them before they could even start," she interrupted. "The only reason so many girls hung out with me was so that they could get closer to you!"

I waved my hand dismissively. "Whatever, Ami; we didn't even go to the same high school so you can't argue with me on this." She frowned but stayed silent. "Anyhow, everybody always talked about how pretty and talented you were; how far you were going to go in life, and how you must have been a treasure to all the boys. I was just the older sister that was…there. I didn't want to be that, so I worked my hardest every day to show that I wasn't just a shadow. A prodigy is somebody who can do something without even thinking, it comes to them naturally. You were a prodigy when it came to singing and acting; I had to practice and climb to the top." I chuckled bitterly. "It didn't matter how high I climbed…people always noticed you, and I was stuck being a nobody. I stopped trying after a while because you loved the spotlight and you deserved to be in it, unlike the cold hearted person everybody thought I was."

"That's…" Ami looked shocked. "I had no idea you felt like that, Amu; I mean, you hinted at it in your letter, but I would have never known it was to this degree…"

I sighed. "It's in the past, so don't worry; I'm done pretending to be something that I'm obviously not." I forced myself to laugh. "Athletic? I can't run up the stairs without running out of breath. Artistic? I can't draw a stick figure to save my life, remember? Culinary? I burn popcorn every single time. And confident or radiant? I don't know if you've noticed, Ami, but I put up a Cool n' Spicy façade all the time to hide my true self."

"I'm guessing that last part was sarcasm," stated Ami, rolling her eyes. "You've always had a terrible sense of sarcasm…and humor, but let's look past that." She stopped, yawning. I glanced at the large clock that hung over the wall. It was past one in the morning.

"Ami, you should go to bed," I said gently, even though I was reluctant to let her go again. "Go to your room, take a shower and sleep peacefully for once; tomorrow morning, eat a proper breakfast and call your friends. You don't have to tell them I'm back yet, but you need to talk to them."

Ami shook her head, chuckling as she stood. "Amu, only you can be pushed away and rejected, disappear for three years, and still somehow manage to take over your role as a big sister within a few hours," she remarked, giggling. "Okay, okay; I promise I'll start taking care of myself and whatever." Her eyes softened and she suddenly looked five years old, holding her arms out like a child. I smiled at her and gave her a warm hug before she walked away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Amu."

I waved at her, waiting until her silhouette disappeared before I collapsed back into my chair. Now, I know that any other person in this situation would have been furious at their sister for putting them through all that bullshit but…I could never hate Ami, or be angry at her for more than a few days. We were best friends as kids, and she was my everything back then.

Besides, I was stuck on an island for three years without ever saying goodbye to my friends or family. They thought I was dead, that I hated them and ran away because they put me through so much, and became ghosts of their former selves. It's best to put the past behind us in that kind of situation.

Wow, I sound like an old philosopher or something.

I yawned as I stood, stretching my arms. I better get to bed myself; the ship will be arriving in Japan tomorrow and I have to confront everybody. Oh, how marvelous.

I arrived at my room, opening the door and flopping down on my bed. It kind of sucked, to be in such a luxurious place under such conditions. Not to mention, I was really lonely.

Miki and Yoru were being reunited, off making their little batch of kittens (okay, it sounded cuter in my head), so I didn't want to interrupt that. Dia was probably thinking about funeral plans for Su since she's the oldest and has to deal with that because their parents are dead. I'm sure Rhythm is keeping her company though, making sure she doesn't fall into depression. Ran and Daichi are probably coming up with ways to outdo each other, even though she's supposed to be resting. Ami needs to rest since she looks like the walking dead, so I won't bother her…

I sighed, reaching over to the dresser to get the TV remote, when I thought of something.

Inspired, I grabbed the phone instead and hastily dialed a number even though it was extremely late and a long-distance call. Hey, the captain said everything was free since we were a special case right? No charge.

After the third ring, somebody picked up. "Who are you and why the hell are you waking me up at this hour? If you're some sort of creeper or a thief, I'll have you know that you're on speaker and I have a witness in the room."

I laughed. After all this time, she was still not a morning person. "Rima, you haven't changed at all."

"…who is this?"

"What, you don't recognize my voice? Oh, congratulations on your engagement with Nagihiko; is he there with you? I know he is; you two lived together before I left, even though you were always with me at my apartment for some reason."

It was silent for the longest time before two voices yelled out in surprise. A thud was heard and I guessed Rima fell to the ground in shock. Some shifting sounds were heard and then Nagi's voice came on.

"A-Amu, is that really you?" He asked, sounding terrified as if it was a cruel prank somebody was pulling on him. Even though he couldn't see me, I smiled.

"Yeah, what's up Nagi?" I asked, trying to play it cool. I couldn't keep it up, though, when I heard Rima crying in the background. "Hey, listen to me…I'll explain everything in detail when I get back to Japan, but long story short…I was stuck on a deserted island with some of the other plane's passengers for the last three years and we finally got rescued by a cruise ship earlier today, which Ikuto's cousin and Ami happened to be on also." I laughed nervously. "How ironic is that?"

"Oh, we're so relieved you're alive Amu…" Nagi was cut off as some loud noises were heard. "Hey, Rima…!"

I held the phone away from my ear as Rima's normally quiet and cold voice blasted through the air. She sounded furious, distraught, and relieved all at the same time. "HINAMORI AMU, DON'T YOU DARE SCARE US LIKE THAT AGAIN! SCREW THE EXPLANATIONS LATER THING! I WANT ANSWERS NOW!"

After a few minutes of ranting from the surprisingly vocal girl, I assured them that I was fine and that I would explain everything. And so, I got zero sleep that night as I listened to the voices of my best friends who I missed dearly.

Now I only had to confront my parents, and of course…Ikuto.

Eep.

…

**I don't know Shugo Chara!**

**Sorry for not updating sooner; in all honesty, I was just released from school for summer and I was too lazy to do anything for a while. And yeah, okay, I had some writer's block. I knew what I wanted to write, but I didn't know how to write it down. Like, I had the whole scenario but I didn't know how to put into action. **

**That didn't make any sense, did it? *sigh* I'm hopeless when it comes to describing myself.**

**So we see how Ami is and she reconciles with Amu, who has already forgiven her. I already explained it through Amu, but I'll repeat it.**

**Amu has been through a lot in the last few years so she can't bring herself to hate her sister, even though Ami deliberately did things to hurt her. **

**It's like…say you had a humongous fight with your sibling or best friend, or somebody you cared a lot about, even though they haven't been acting very well to you. In a rage, one of you storms off. You later find out that they had gotten very hurt and needs your help. Now, even though you're mad at them, would you let them go on defenseless? **

**Besides, they're sisters who need each other to heal. **

**Anyways…Rima blows up at Amu, despite being obviously relieved her best friend is okay. What news will Rima bring to Amu? What about Ikuto? What's he been up to all this time?**

**Still debating whether or not to put Utau with Kukai…I don't mind, but I just don't like that pairing.**

**Okay…I swear, I'll just publish a few more chapters and then this story is done. BUT REMEMBER; this is a tragedy so I can't promise the ending will be a 'happily ever after' situation. **

**It'll probably be like that though…OR WILL IT?! *laughs manically* **

**On unrelated note, I've been all depressed because the cover for **_**House of Hades**_** (of the **_**Heroes of Olympus**_** series, which is a spin-off of **_**Percy Jackson**_**) and my poor Percabeth is in hell….wah, you don't understand my heart wrenching pain about that! And I have to wait until October to read the next book in the series!**

**Not to mention, all of my shows had their season finales with damn cliffhangers or heart stabbing endings. **_**Hart of Dixie**_** and **_**NCIS: Los Angeles**_** comes to mind…**

**Anyhow, on a happier note, I'm dying to go watch **_**Monsters University**_** and **_**Finding Dory **_**right now! I mean, my generation only waited twelve years for this so…**

**I'm rambling; I'm sorry. Just my usual fangirl talk…plus I wanted to get your minds off of the fact that I might possibly end this story tragically!**

…**whoops. But it worked, didn't it?**

**Okay; I'm done! Don't hesitate to tell me if you spot any mistakes or what you thought about the chapter!**


	8. The Beginning of a Beautiful Love Story

…

Miki fell back against the bed, her tangled blue locks swirling around her frame as she closed her eyes and laughed. Her fiancé fell on the spot next to her, also laughing.

Her entire body felt sore and she loved it if it meant it was because of the blue haired man she loved so much. They stayed silent for a long time, breathing heavily. Finally, she spoke up.

"You know, everybody thinks we've been having sex," she remarked, remembering her sisters' raised eyebrows and Amu's scandalized expression. Yoru chuckled as he rubbed his chest, grimacing at the black and blue bruise she had left.

"Do you plan on telling them we just went to play paintball in the lower deck's game room?" He asked. The artistic girl snorted.

"Let them think what they want," she replied. "It's none of their business."

The violinist made a noise to acknowledge her. "Speaking of business…what do you want to do about the wedding? We never…ah, got to plan it…considering…"

"Right," muttered Miki, sitting up so she could support herself on her elbows. She inhaled deeply. "Well, after everything, I don't really want anything major. I just know I don't want to put it off any longer." The blue haired male reached for her hand, smiling at the engagement ring on her slender finger.

"I'm glad you didn't give up on me," he murmured, pulling her in so he could hold her against his chest. She blushed. "I missed you, Miki."

The blue haired artist smiled as she buried her face in his shirt, her eyes fluttering shut. "I missed you too, Yoru…and I'm glad you didn't give up on me either. I think I would have died."

"You know, if everything goes well and Ikuto marries Amu, we'll all end up related to each other," remarked Yoru. "Like second cousins or something."

"That's assuming they can admit their feelings to each other," reminded Miki. "He should be one of your groomsmen and I can make Amu one of my bridesmaids so they can walk down the aisle together."

"Doesn't she also have to help that Rima chick prepare her own wedding?" Her fiancé asked curiously.

Miki sighed. She really hoped her pink haired friend got her happy ending but her track record didn't promise much…besides, there were a lot of things to take care of for the two weddings coming up that Amu was definitely going to be involved in (three, actually, if she and Ikuto could get their acts together).

"We'll see whether or not Amu gets her happy ending," murmured the blue haired girl before snuggling into her fiancé, drifting to sleep. He smiled at her and shut off the lights, following her into dreamland.

…

Ran blew her hair out of her face as she glared at the shuffleboard court. She was losing big time, and she hated it. She had always been the one who excelled everything involving sports. Dia simply said it wasn't her thing while Miki and Su couldn't do anything athletic to save their skins.

It was Ran who won all the trophies that were still displayed in all of her schools' cases, and her name was the one plastered on the banners. She never thought of herself as the best though or let it get to her head, but it kind of sucked to have somebody else beat you as easily as you beat everybody else.

And yet, she couldn't help but admire Daichi for it.

"Just wait until I get these casts off," she taunted. "Then I'll definitely whoop you for sure!"

The green haired male winked playfully at her, grinning. "I'm looking forward to it, Pinky."

Ran blushed brightly before she made her next move. "So…um, why are you heading back to Japan? Don't you have a lot of offers in America and stuff? I hear the Tour de France thing is coming up soon too."

"Yeah, but I haven't seen my brother in a long time," replied Daichi. "Our parents divorced when we were younger and since we have a lot of siblings, we were all split up. The two of us are the youngest out of our seven other siblings so the others moved out pretty quickly but we were stuck separated. When we became adults, we got really busy and just never saw each other that often. I decided enough was enough and called him to tell him I was visiting."

"That's so sweet," gushed Ran. "What's his name?"

"Souma Kukai," replied the other athlete as he made his next move. "He told me he's aiming to become a member of the country's soccer team, but mostly to impress this girl's been hanging out with…Tsukiyomi Utau."

The magenta haired girl spun around as she gasped, completely throwing off her move, as she stared at him. "That's Ikuto's last name!"

"Who?"

"Ikuto, as in Yoru's cousin, as in the guy Amu's desperately in love with!" Ran exclaimed, freaking out. What a small world indeed! Daichi looked utterly lost and she quickly explained the entire situation. "Isn't this great? We can help them have their happy ending and everything!"

Daichi shook his head, looking amused. "If it means Kukai is happy, I don't care. But I guess I don't mind if it means I get to spend more time with you." To his delight, she blushed once more as she turned to make her next move. "You know you can't beat me when it comes to sports."

Ran growled at herself. Was she or was she not the flirty one? She smiled brightly at him, giggling. "We'll see, Daichi…we'll see." She flipped her ponytail and got ready to make her next move, internally smirking as she noticed how he turned slightly pink.

She didn't go down without a fight, after all.

…

Dia swung her legs, shivering slightly as her feet dipped into the cool water. She and Rhythm were sitting by the poolside, talking about this and that as they sipped their fruity drinks.

"Hey, are you sure you're alright?" He asked, concerned. "Your face is all pink."

The ginger haired girl smiled in assurance. "Oh, it's just the cold air." Well, that's what she said, but she knew better.

"Really? I didn't think it was that cold," replied Rhythm, frowning. "Maybe we should go inside so you don't get sick."

"No, no, I'm fine," said Dia quickly, her heart fluttering. Why is it this man, who had been a stranger just a few hours ago, could make her heart beat like it did at that very moment? She hadn't felt like this since she was giddy schoolgirl, when she liked this kid in her music class. She couldn't even remember his name…did she even know his name back then? All she remembered was that he said he liked her singing and thought she was pretty cool, and she had been lovesick. Dammit, why was this bringing up these memories?

"Okay, if you're sure…" Rhythm didn't look quite convinced but let the matter drop as he took a sip of drink. "So…what do you plan on doing when you get back to Japan?"

She shrugged, swaying her feet in the crystal clear water that rippled at her slightest movements. "Well, I suppose I have to find a new job and help plan Miki's wedding since she'll want it done as soon as possible…and I suppose I also have to make arrangements for Su's funeral." Rhythm hesitantly reached over and squeezed her hand, giving her a sympathetic smile while sparks shot up her arm.

"I really am sorry you guys lost so much," he said softly, and she blushed lightly as she gave him a reassuring smile.

"Thank you," whispered the normally confident girl. "Although we lost some friends, we also made some new ones so I suppose it's not a complete loss."

"You have a nice singing voice," remarked Rhythm offhandedly, catching her off guard.

"W-what?" Dia stammered, confused by his sudden statement. "I mean, thank you, but what brought that on?"

He shrugged. "Nothing really; I just didn't remember telling you that earlier at the karaoke bar. Your boyfriend sure is lucky to have a girl with such a beautiful voice; he must be psyched for your return."

"I don't have a boyfriend," replied Dia shyly, avoiding his gaze. "I haven't really felt a connection with any guy since high school." She sighed. "Although, it was a silly school crush; I never even learned his name."

"So you've never had a real relationship?" He asked skeptically. "I find that hard to believe."

"How come?" She asked curiously, considering she didn't find it that odd.

Rhythm chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on, Dia. A beautiful and confident girl like you must have caught the attention of somebody."

"If I did, they never said anything," replied the ginger haired girl before realizing what he had said. "You think I'm beautiful?" He blushed lightly, glancing at her.

"Yeah, I do," he confessed, and she blushed as well. "You remind me of the sun on a cloudy day because you're so radiant."

Dia hid her red face by taking another sip of her drink. "Your girlfriend must be so lucky to have such a smooth talking guy."

"She would be lucky, if she existed," replied the purple haired male. "I don't have a girlfriend. I flirt a lot, but I haven't really been in a relationship since college. Even then, it was because my sister complained I didn't get out enough and set us up." He downed the rest of his drink and set it to the side, leaning back on his palms. "The last time I actually liked a girl was back in high school. We were in the same music class, and even though she looked kind of dorky with her huge glasses and braces, I could tell she was really beautiful. And her voice was to die for." He smiled up at the night sky. "I wonder what happened to her…I don't even remember her name."

"She probably became an idol or something," replied Dia, trying to figure out why the scene sounded familiar.

"If that's the case, I probably don't have that much of a chance," remarked Rhythm, laughing. "Even though she got picked on for her looks, she was really kind to everybody and never let anything get her down." A goofy smile lit up his features and even though she was upset he was still hung over on this girl, she couldn't help but find it cute. It wouldn't be fair, considering she still liked that guy from her class. "She always had this funny warm up session before class and since we were always the first ones there, I always watched her."

"A lot of singers have different vocal exercises," said Dia, embarrassed by some of her own tactics. "I remember I had the weirdest routine…I would puff up my cheeks and poke them repeatedly while singing the scale or while tapping my foot in the rhythm of…"

"The Pink Panther?" Rhythm interrupted, raising an eyebrow. No way…could it be…

Dia turned to him in shock, her eyes wide. "Yeah…how did you…" It dawned on her then and she laughed. "Wow…what are the chances?"

"Yeah," he replied, chuckling as well. "So…I guess it's only fair that I ask you out."

"Hm, so straightforward," joked Dia, shaking her head. "I can't believe my high school crush is sitting right here, telling me he liked me too. Yes, Rhythm, I'll go out with you."

Rhythm grinned and reached for her hand, squeezing it. "Perfect."

She looked up at the sky, smiling brightly. She remembered her sisters always teasing her for her crush and encouraging her to ask him out, saying she needed to be more confident about herself, and how she always backed down. Su had even done as much as bake heart shaped cookies and planted them in his locker, saying they were from a certain girl in his music class. Who knew all of it would come back to her?

"Yeah," agreed Dia softly. "Perfect."

…

Amu didn't take more than three steps on the boardwalk before she was tackled to the ground by a small head of blonde, already crying. Ami stood next to her, smiling. She had taken her sister's advice and looked much livelier than she did the other night.

"Oh, Amu," sobbed Rima, holding her best friend close. "Don't you dare leave me again!" She glanced over her shoulder, glaring at her fiancé. "Why are you just standing there? Come and give your friend a hug, stupid cross dresser!"

Nagi laughed, blinking back his own tears as he hugged his two favorite girls in the world. Ami stood by awkwardly until her sister pulled her in as well, the four of them taking comfort in each other.

Finally, they pulled away and Amu gestured towards her new friends. "Guys, these are the people I was telling you about." Quick introductions were made with promises to keep in touch, and they all went their separate ways. Well, Miki and Yoru flashed their rings to Amu with arched eyebrows before they disappeared. The hint was not lost on her, and she blushed darkly.

Luckily for Amu, her parents had overslept so they weren't there at the boardwalk as well. Nagi and Rima offered to drive the two sisters home, which was met by grateful thanks.

The pink haired girl fidgeted the whole ride there, nervous as hell. What exactly did one to say one's parents after being stranded on an island for three years? Did they even know she was alive? Surely it had made the news, right?

"Relax, Amu," murmured Ami, ignoring the couple's talk on the wedding. Rima had demanded the pinkette be her maid of honor, and she couldn't refuse despite also promising Miki she would be her maid of honor as well. Not to mention, Kei and Amorza had invited her to their wedding since he had apparently proposed to her in the clinic. She swore, everybody in a relationship was trying to make her feel even more depressed about weddings. "Mama and Papa will throw a party when they see you. Hey, did you know that Mama secretly wanted you to end up with Ikuto?"

"Oh, that's lovely," she muttered. "Where was my matchmaking mother when I was all depressed?"

"Please don't bring that time up," pleaded Ami, wincing. "I'm still not over how much of a bitch I was." She rolled her eyes when nobody denied that statement. "Gee, I feel the love you guys."

"Well, I never really liked you that much," deadpanned Rima, who was naturally jealous of any girl who got close to her best friend.

"Oh, well thanks," remarked the youngest occupant, shaking her head. "At least you're honest about it. So…was that blue haired guy really Ikuto's cousin? I mean, I remember hearing about him but I didn't think they looked that alike."

"Yeah, he's getting married to Miki," her older sister replied. "She was also stuck on the island."

"Well, at least they waited for each other," chimed in Nagi as they approached the Hinamori household. "Do you want us to come in or are you two alright?"

The two sisters exchanged looks, both wearing nervous expressions. "We'll be fine, thanks," they replied in unison before getting out of the car. They waved to the couple as they drove off before reaching for each other's hands.

"They're home," noted Ami, seeing the family car in the driveway. She took her key out of her bag and carefully opened the front door, her older sister taking comfort in the familiar environment. "Mama, Papa, I'm home."

"We're in the living room," called their mother and it took a lot of self control for Amu not to go and jump her parents then. "Sorry we missed your pick up, Ami. How was the cruise?"

"Oh, I don't mind," assured their youngest daughter, taking her time to take off her coat and shoes. "The cruise was kind of boring, but then I met an old friend of mine on the last day."

"That's nice," remarked Tsumugu, who was with his wife as they prepared lunch together. "Are you hungry? We have a lot of extra food."

"They always buy enough for four," explained Ami quietly, making her sister smile sadly. "Um, yeah…don't worry; I don't think food will be a problem. I brought my friend home."

"Ah, a guest," said Midori, wiping her hands on her apron as the brunette entered the kitchen to greet her parents. They both sounded so emotionless and empty, like a part of them was missing. "You haven't brought anyone home in a while. Do we know them?"

The pink haired girl had had enough and stepped out as well, still not seen by her parents who she wanted to run up to and hug tightly. "Well, I hope you would know me Mama."

Her father dropped his knife on the cutting board and her mother became very pale as Ami smiled nervously, holding up her hands. "Uh…ta-da? Look who I found on the cruise."

"Amu?" Midori asked cautiously, tears in her eyes. "Is that really you? Where have you been?"

"Yes, it's really me," replied Amu, taking a deep breath. "I was stuck on a deserted island for the last three years…I only got rescued the other night, where I met Ami." She didn't say anything else as she burst into tears. "Oh, Mama, Papa…" Her parents raced over and hugged her tightly, crying openly as they comforted their previously lost daughter. Ami was soon pulled in and the broken family let each other see their true colors.

"I missed you so much," sobbed Amu, holding her family close to her. "I'm sorry I ran away."

"Oh, we missed you too," replied Midori, terrified that she was dreaming. "We love you, Amu; I hope you know that."

"My little sparrow is back," cried Tsumugu, earning small chuckles from his three favorite girls.

"Oh, Papa, you haven't changed," remarked the pink haired girl as they finally pulled away, none of them ashamed by their tear stained faces. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, we do," agreed Midori, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "However, it can wait. I want you _both_ to go upstairs and change into something nice."

"Huh, why?" Her daughters asked together, looking confused.

"You're going to make things right with your friends," replied their mother, pointing to Ami. "And you're going to go and get your man." This was directed at Amu, who blushed darkly.

"What?! Mama, it's too soon for my sparrows to fly away again," exclaimed her husband, who earned a swat on the shoulder. He watched as his two precious gems went up the stairs, exchanging bewildered looks.

"Dear, we need to let them soar and follow their own paths," said Midori gently, rubbing his arm comfortingly. "Ami has blamed herself all this time and became isolated, as did we. Amu has always sacrificed her own happiness for others and I think it's time to let her have the happily ever after she deserves. Don't you think so?"

Her husband stayed silent for several moments before sighing, drooping his head in defeat. "Yeah," he murmured. "But if that Ikuto character hurts my daughter again…"

The aging brunette laughed heartily, the first time she had done so in three years. "I highly doubt you'll beat Rima-chan to it." She giggled as her husband shuddered, obviously afraid of the tiny blonde. Not that Midori blamed him; she could be a feisty person when she wanted to be.

Meanwhile, Amu sat on the floor of her childhood bedroom as she watched her sister throw several outfits in the air with a panicked expression. A small smile crossed her lips, despite her heart pounding in her chest.

She was finally going to see Ikuto again.

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!  
**

**So…yeah…I didn't mean to write that last section in third person point of view, but it wouldn't make that much sense if I suddenly switched back to Amu's after writing in the third POV right? I'll probably return to writing in that format next chapter.**

**Sorry it was mostly a filler section, minus that last part, but I figured some of you may have been curious as to what the others were doing. I also threw in some info on Kei and Amorza because I needed to do something with them. Not how I originally planned it, but hey.**

**Be honest; you guys legit thought that Miki and Yoru were off doing it, right? Hm, plot twists are fun. We also see some blooming romance between Daichi and Ran, and we find out that Rhythm and Dia actually had crushes on each other in school but wasn't aware it was them! Isn't that a bit ironic?**

**Don't hesitate to tell what you honestly thought, and please tell me if you spot any mistakes! Okay…probably one more chapter and then an epilogue, and then this story is finished. I mean it this time.**

**And…if it does end tragically, which may or may not happen, I will not answer your pleas this time to make it all cliché and happy. It's going to be cliché, anyways, so…**

**On the bright side, next chapter, we get to see Ikuto at long last! Peace out! **

**Okay that was weird…**


	9. The Lovers' Unexpected Reunion

…

"You…are…such…a…freaking…idiot!" Miki exclaimed, throwing random objects at the blue haired man at every word she said. Her sisters and their boyfriends exchanged amused looks while Yoru tried to prevent his fiancé from killing his cousin.

Ikuto held up his hands in front of his face, trying to protect himself from the blue haired girl's attacks. "Hold on, what did I do?! I just met you; there's no way I could have pissed you off that easily!" He dodged another attack, a confused expression on his face as Miki huffed and glared at him. The both of them looked at Yoru to explain.

He rubbed the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. "Do you remember how I told you that this is my fiancé and her sisters who were also lost on that plane?" His cousin nodded slowly. "See…they weren't the only survivors. Amu was on that ship as well and she's probably over with her parents now, though she'll probably go searching for you to as why you broke off your wedding with her sister."

"What?" Ikuto exclaimed, his eyes wide. This wasn't what he expected at all when his cousin had suddenly appeared at his house with a bunch of strangers.

"Yeah," spat Miki, looking pissed off as she crossed her arms. "And she'll probably be crushed by the fact that there's some girl's crap all over the place and that you don't love her or moved on so quickly!" Her point was proven by the sound of a bed creaking and the shower starting.

"Well, to be fair, it has been three years," whispered Ran to her sister, who spun around and glared at her with fire in her eyes. She made a squeaking sound, hiding behind Daichi. Her younger sister could be scary when she wanted to be, especially when she lost her temper.

"So?" She challenged. "Yoru and I have been separated for three years but we still hung on to each other! We both could have moved on, but we didn't!"

"Come on, Miki," tried Rhythm. "Maybe this was his way of coping with the fact that he helped drive away the one woman he ever really loved." Ikuto gave him a 'what the fuck' look.

"Thanks, man," he said sarcastically. "Who the hell are you guys anyways?" He gestured to the blue haired artist. "I know you're my cousin's fiancé and I'm sorry we're going to be related one day, but I don't know any of you."

"We're Miki's sisters," exclaimed Ran before introducing herself. "And this is Dia and her boyfriend, Rhythm. This is my boyfriend, Daichi!"

"Yo," greeted Rhythm while Daichi flashed a thumbs up sign to the violinist. The said violinist sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. It was then that everybody noticed how disarrayed he appeared, with his scruffy hair and ruffled clothes. Not to mention, he had a disoriented expression that also highlighted his content…as if he had had…

"Dude," exclaimed Yoru, baffled by his cousin's behavior. The cruise had only been a few weeks and Ikuto had been as single as an old cat lady but now he was off sleeping with random women? He never ever expected this from the older male, not in a million years. "What the hell is wrong with you? You've never even looked at another woman in the last three years and as soon as I'm gone, you start picking up random chicks? What, did you crack and hit the sleaziest bars you could find?"

"No, his sister needed a place to stay," interrupted Utau as she descended down the stairs with slightly damp hair. She looked at them with an incredulous expression as they all stared at her, some glares colder than others. "I don't know what Amu told you about me, but I'm not the same girl I was back then." She looked at her brother. "Ikuto, I'm going out to meet Yaya and Ami."

Her brother turned around, a skeptical expression on his face. "You haven't talked to either of them in two years…why are you meeting with them?" Then he raised an eyebrow. "Are you meeting that Souma guy?"

Utau blushed. "What, no! I don't want to see that weird guy ever again."

"He called and asked if you wanted to have another ramen challenge on Saturday," said Ikuto, smirking at his sister.

"Well, since he probably has no other friends, I guess I have to go," murmured the blonde singer, making the others exchange amused expressions. "Anyways, I really _am_ meeting Yaya and Ami."

"And may I ask why, all of a sudden?" The violinist asked curiously.

Utau smiled gently, rubbing her arm absently. "Ami called me and said she wanted to make things right now that she had her sister back." This was met by a stunned expression from her brother. "In fact, it was Amu who made Ami get her act together on that cruise ship and call us. So…when you see her today, Ikuto, can you tell her how I sorry I am for…everything?" Her brother could only nod and she smiled kindly at him before brushing past the group, walking out of the house.

"Well, I guess we have to go too," said Dia, already leading her sisters out the door. "I assume Amu is on her way here, having made Ami ask Utau for information on you, so we should go out and…settle our different businesses."

"Right, see ya later," exclaimed Yoru before he was yanked out by his fiancé, leaving his cousin in stunned silence.

After several moments, he burst out laughing. He laughed long and hard, clutching his stomach as he keeled over.

Footsteps were heard as somebody approached him, fat drops of water from her hair dropping onto his shirt, but he didn't mind as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

She giggled, sounding highly amused as she asked in her melodious voice, "Are you alright, Ikuto?"

He wiped his eye, still chuckling as he straightened and kissed her. "I'm perfectly fine, Amu. Did you see their expressions when Utau came down?"

The pink haired woman smiled, rolling her eyes. "I have to thank her for helping set this up. Anyways, I didn't expect Miki to lose it like that."

"Never mind her," murmured Ikuto, holding his girlfriend close to him. Oh, how he missed her so much. He had been like a zombie, alive but barely breathing, without her all this time. He wasn't even sure how he had survived for the last three years. "I think we still have a lot to catching up to do." To his delight, a brilliant blush covered her beautiful face as she melted at his touch. His touch only, for no other person would be able to hold her.

"Ikuto," she said, sounding out of breath as she uttered his name like it was prayer to the gods. "How did…this even happen?"

"Well, it all started when you showed up two hours ago in that adorable little dress," he replied, spotting the said dress on his living room floor. His furniture was all over the place from their little…reunion earlier, after they had talked about what they had been doing the last three years and gotten over how neither of them had moved on and still loved each other. "You shouldn't be showing up in such an outfit unless you want to be jumped."

"Well, you're the one that practically jumped over the coffee table to kiss me," Amu retorted, rolling her eyes as she held him close. "And Ami wouldn't let me leave in any of my normal clothes."

"Well, your clothes are a bit more complex and harder to get off," replied Ikuto, smirking as he noticed she had changed into one of his shirts. It went down to her thighs and showed off her slender legs, looking ridiculously oversized on her but also incredibly sexy as was anything she wore. "You sure are risky today, wearing something like that in front of me."

"What, am I not allowed to pick out some new sleepwear?" Amu asked coyly, fluttering her lashes innocently. Her boyfriend (well, that's what she called him; she didn't know where they were exactly) chuckled softly. "Hey, Ikuto, where exactly do we stand? I mean, what am I to you?"

Ikuto suddenly had a serious expression on his face as they sat down on the living room couch. "Amu, to me, you'll always be my best friend…but, for a long time, I've wanted to be something more than that. My biggest regret in life was not admitting how wrong I was not to confess and continue with the wedding like you didn't mean more than life to me. I thought my world ended when I heard about that plane accident and I didn't see a point in living when we read your letter." He calmed down slightly when she squeezed his hand, running her other hand down his face lovingly.

"I'm sorry I put all of you through so much," she said softly. The violinist kissed her again, pulling her in close.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he said. "If anybody should apologize, it should be basically everybody else for not realizing what you were going through. Anyways, it's partially my fault as well for not being honest."

"You haven't answered my question yet," pointed out Amu, pulling away to stare at him dead in the eyes.

"Amu, I don't want to go through life wondering 'what if' or pretending like we just met and are creating a normal relationship," continued Ikuto from his previous speech, his eyes softening as he took in all of her beauty. "I don't care how rushed it may seem or what everybody will think, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And even in death, I will want to be with you."

The pink haired woman gasped, tears springing to her eyes as her hands flew to her mouth in shock. "Ikuto, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

The violinist nodded, smiling at her as he took her hands in his. "Hinamori Amu, will you marry me?" She stared at him for several seconds, tears falling down her cheeks as she nodded rapidly.

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes," exclaimed the overwhelmed woman, throwing herself at the man she loved so much. "Oh, you have no idea how long I waited to hear that."

Ikuto wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck as he chuckled softly. "Oh, I think I have an idea alright." His breath was hot on Amu's neck and she shivered, making him grin. "My previous statement still stands…we have a lot of catching up to do." Amu giggled as her fiancé began to kiss her, their clothes leaving a trail once more as they stumbled upstairs to the bedroom. This time they wouldn't have to be cut off by Utau's surprised screaming and curses.

…

Midori shot a knowing look to her husband, who was sniffling, as a smug expression crossed her features. "I told you."

"But…my sparrow…" Tsumugu protested weakly before slapping himself, earning amused and slightly concerned looks from his daughter and her fiancé. "Oh, alright, I give you my blessing to marry my precious Amu…but not too soon please. I just got back both of my daughters; I don't want to lose her just yet."

"Oh, Papa," murmured Amu, getting up to hug her father. It had only been three weeks since Ikuto had proposed and he had wanted to get approval from her parents before they went to get a ring. They planned on buying one and then heading to Kei and Amorza's wedding. "Ami and I will always be your sparrows, but we have to leave the nest eventually." She couldn't believe she was actually playing along with his ridiculous sparrow gag but if it comforted him, then ah well.

Midori patted her husband on the shoulder as Ikuto exchanged amused looks with Ami, who was in the kitchen watching the show as she munched on popcorn. The two of them had made up, deciding it was best to put the past behind them for the sake of Amu's happiness. Which, she definitely deserved.

Amu made an odd sound as her father began crying again, holding her tightly like she would never return if he let her go. "P-Papa, you're squeezing me too tight!"

"Darling, you're smothering her…" Midori.

"Well, I'm going to get something to eat." Ikuto.

"Ikuto, don't just leave me here!" Amu.

"Hey, can I have some of that?" Ikuto.

"No way, get your own popcorn!" Ami.

"Ikuto, you useless cat, come and help me!" Amu.

"I'm eating." Ikuto.

"You're eating my popcorn!" Ami.

"Ami, forget about the pop-Papa, you're choking me!" Amu.

"Dear, let the poor girl go!" Midori.

"No, my sparrow can't fly away just yet!" Tsumugu.

"Hey, got a camera?" Ikuto.

"Yeah, on the coffee table." Ami.

"I'm going to get you both!" Amu.

Utau and Yaya exchanged looks as they entered the Hinamori household, immediately backing out.

"They sound busy," remarked Yaya as they walked down the driveway.

"Oh, they sounded busier when she came over a few weeks ago," muttered Utau, still scarred. The younger girl giggled.

"I'm sure you and Kukai are no better though," she teased, making the blonde blush brightly. "Aren't you glad I introduced you to him?"

"Shut up," exclaimed the singer, crossing her arms. "Anyways, you're one to talk. I'm sure you and Kairi are making some time."

"Oh, we have plenty of time," replied the brunette, still giggling as she gently patted her belly. Utau's eyes widened, noticing the small bump for the first time. "I haven't told him yet."

"Let me know when you do," she said, sounding dazed. "Something tells me the poor boy will faint."

"That's why I'm trying to break it to him delicately," said Yaya. "You don't mind if I ask Ami to be the godmother, do you?" The older girl smiled, thinking of how the three of them had rebuilt their friendship so quickly.

"No, I don't mind at all," she replied softly. "Boy, there sure are a lot of weddings going on here. I mean, there's the one with Miki and Yoru, and now Amu and Ikuto are finally getting married, and I'm sure that Ran girl will propose to Daichi. Rhythm and Dia are definitely more patient but this entire situation must make them feel pressured to get hitched."

"Well, if everybody's getting married, then Kukai should propose in no time," said Yaya offhandedly, grinning. "It can be a…five-way wedding!"

"That's ridiculous, Yaya," shot down Utau, blushing before her eyes lit up. "But maybe they can do a double wedding! I mean, why not, right?" She pulled out her phone and dialed her cousin's number, wedding plans forming in her mind.

"I don't know why you're calling Yoru," muttered Yaya, rolling her eyes. "It's Dia and Ran that are planning both weddings."

Meanwhile, Yoru let his phone go to voicemail as he watched the scene from his resting place in the treetops. He smirked, knowing the girls would be pleased by the idea of a double wedding. Then his smirk disappeared to be replaced with a scowl, remembering that he had been kicked out of the house so Miki and her sisters could go shopping for a wedding dress.

"Jeez, girls and weddings," he muttered before making his way to the taiyaki cart down the street. "Mm, chocolate."

…

_Ikuto groaned as he rolled out of bed, hearing Utau yell at him to answer the door while she showered. He didn't bother changing out of pajama pants or old T-shirt that had several stains on it as he grudgingly made his way downstairs. _

_His stomach rumbled loudly and there was a horrible taste in his mouth, but he ignored them both. Much to his family's dismay, he hadn't really been taking care of himself for the last two years. The first year he had mostly been depressed but he had at least brushed his hair every day. _

_He ran his hand through his somewhat dirty hair as he opened the door, hissing at the bright sunlight. "What?" He growled, annoyed, as he shielded his face with his hand._

"_Well, gee, someone's still not a morning person I see," said a familiar voice, making Ikuto pull away his hand and blink once in shock. _

"_A-Amu?" He stammered, backing away. There she was, looking as beautiful as ever in a little red dress that highlighted her every curve and showed off her legs. It was meant to be a casual dress but it looked as if she was going to a cocktail party instead. "You're alive?" She smiled, nodding, and he practically jumped the poor girl as he hugged her tightly. Amu made a sound of surprise before hugging him back. _

_They stayed like that for several seconds before she remarked, "You know, Ikuto, you kind of stink."_

_Suddenly embarrassed and aware of his hygiene for the first time in a while, Ikuto pulled away and gestured towards the living room. "Right, I'll be right back; you sit here until I'm done!" He raced away, not caring how ridiculously spazzed out he seemed. _

_In a matter of minutes, he had washed his hair, brushed his teeth, put on deodorant, cologne, and had changed into fresh clothes. He ran back downstairs, hoping he hadn't been hallucinating. He was reassured when he heard Amu giggling in the living room._

"_Ikuto, you're such a spaz," she teased before her eyes softened. "I'm glad you're alright; I'm sorry about your breakup with Ami though."_

"_Why are you sorry?" Ikuto asked, confused, as he sat across from her on the armchair. _

_The pink haired woman shrugged. "I mean, you did love her, didn't you?"_

_He sighed. "It's a long story…speaking of long stories, where the hell have you been?"_

"_Even longer story," replied Amu. "But without going into detail, I've been stuck on a deserted island with your cousin's fiancé and her sisters for the last three years."_

"_Yoru?" Ikuto furrowed his eyebrows, vaguely remembering that they had met on the airplane. "He went on a cruise…"_

"_Yeah, the same cruise ship that rescued us," interrupted the pink haired woman, making him raise an eyebrow. "It was so sweet, to see the two of them reunited, I mean. They were so in love and neither of them gave up on each other even though people kept telling them to move on." She sighed longingly. "Nobody even saw them during most of the trip after that; if we did, they were all disorientated and giggly."_

"_Well, Yoru did have a breakdown when he came back," said Ikuto. "I'm not surprised that they were so excited to see each other. They were in love, after all…sort of like how you were in love with me." Well, he had to bring up the subject; he had to find out whether or not she still loved him._

_Amu chuckled, looking down. "Yeah…I guess you read my letter? Well, obviously, since Ami told me you did but…" She didn't meet his eyes, afraid of how he would react to her next statement. "But then again, she also told me that you had loved me too." She laughed nervously, not wanting to get her hopes up. "I mean, that's funny right? You, the great Tsukiyomi Ikuto, in love with somebody like me?"_

"_What's so wrong with being in love with you?" Ikuto asked quietly, watching her every movement as his heart throbbed. She was so close to him, but he couldn't…did he have any right to claim her as his own? "There's nothing funny about my feelings for you, Amu."_

_She looked up, her eyes wide in surprise. "Y-Your feelings? What do you mean?"_

"_Amu, we've always been honest with each other," said the violinist seemingly offhandedly. "Right?" She nodded slowly, confused. "So if I asked if you were still in love with me, what would your answer be?"_

_Amu blinked, her cheeks tinted pink. "I wouldn't say anything."_

_He didn't look satisfied by that answer. "What do you mean?"_

_She reached into her dress and pulled out the chain of her necklace, revealing the locket around her neck. His eyes widened in shock. "I mean, showing you that I refused to let go of this locket you gave me says a lot about my feelings for you, doesn't it?"_

_Ikuto stared at her in shock, tempted to go and run the ten miles to the abandoned amusement park so he could get the key he had left in the teacups with the duplicate of the matching lock, but instead chose to leap over the coffee table and cup her face so he could kiss her. _

_She was caught off guard, blinking in surprise, before she returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck as his lowered down to her waist to pick her up. He carried her upstairs, never breaking their kiss, and led her to the nearest bedroom as he gently tossed her onto the bed and continued to kiss her as their clothing became disarrayed. _

_They were moaning each other's names when the door opened and somebody began to curse loudly in shock, making the couple break apart and stare at the stunned blonde._

"_What…the…fuck…are you doing in my room, Ikuto?!" She shouted, her soaking wet hair sticking to her skin as she clutched the towel around her body. Then her amethyst eyes lit up in recognition. "Amu?" The pink haired woman used one hand to wave, smiling awkwardly. The older girl shook her head. "Okay, you can explain later, but if you're going to do…that…then get the hell out of my room!" _

"_You brought me to your sister's room?" Amu asked as the blue haired man got off of her with a smirk on his lips. "Idiot…" She smiled at his sister as they brushed by. "It's good to see you again, Utau." The phone on the dresser began ringing. "That's probably Ami calling to meet up." The singer raised an eyebrow. "By the way, I'm sorry."_

"_Amu, stop apologizing to everybody," exclaimed Ikuto, grabbing her hand as he tried to drag her back to his room so they could continue their previous activities. "Besides, it's Utau that needs to apologize."_

"_No, I'm sorry for nearly doing it on her bed," replied his lover, rolling her eyes. "I don't need to hear an apology from her anyways; it was partly my fault as well as hers and Ami's." He managed to get her away, muttering an apology to his sister before his bedroom door slammed._

_Meanwhile, Utau was left in her bedroom with a confused expression. "What the hell just happened?"_

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!  
**

**So…yeah. Not how I planned the chapter at all. **

**The next chapter is probably the epilogue and then that's it so…yup. *awkward silence***

**Anyways…don't hesitate to tell me about any mistakes you found or what you thought about the chapter. **

**And I promise, after I'm done with this story, I'll start focusing on my other stories…probably. **


	10. A Happily Ever After At Last (Epilogue)

…

"…Tsukiyomi, take this woman to be your wife?"

"…"

"Tsukiyomi?"

"…"

"Tsukiyomi?"

"…no. I don't like you."

The blonde haired girl burst into tears, wailing, "Wah, he doesn't love me!" She rubbed her eyes and ran away, leaving behind a baffled blue haired male.

He had a confused expression on his face as his father approached him, laughing as he clapped his son on the shoulder. His mother sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Ryo, why did you make your cousin cry like that?" Tsukiyomi Amu asked, running her hand through her pink hair as she watched the blonde haired girl get comforted by her mother, Souma Utau.

"She asked if I wanted to marry her," replied the ten year old male as his younger sister clung to his leg, her violet hair falling over her sapphire eyes. "Oy, Rosalyn, let go of my leg."

"No, if I let you go, El will come and ask you to marry her again," replied the eight year old stubbornly, sticking her lower lip out. "And you're my brother, always watching me and protecting me, so I'll protect you from her."

"See, some of my amazing qualities did rub off on her," remarked Tsukiyomi Ikuto, holding his wife by the waist. Since he was taller than her, he rested his chin on the top of her head. He didn't have to look to know she was rolling her eyes again.

"I was really hoping that she would be unlike you," replied Amu as their friends approached them, having also picked up their children from the elementary school. She was so relieved that they had kept in touch and didn't let the ugly past ruin their friendships. In fact, all of their children were friends.

Tsukiyomi Ryo, son of Amu and Ikuto, was in the fifth grade. He had inherited his father's blue hair and sapphire eyes, along with his violin skills and cool personality. His younger sister, Rosalyn, was in the third grade and had a mix of both pink and blue hair so that it appeared violet. She also inherited her father's eyes and while she didn't get her father's violin skills, she was learning piano and was naturally a beautiful singer like her mother. Their youngest siblings were the fraternal twins, Akira and Ichigo, who were three. Akira inherited her mother's pink hair and her father's sapphire eyes while Ichigo got his father's hair and his mother's eyes.

Souma El, daughter of Utau and Kukai, was ten and in the fifth grade. She had gotten her mother's blonde hair and complex issues (constantly chasing after her cousin, Ryo, much to his annoyance and parents' amusement) but had inherited her father's lime green eyes. She was hopeless at sports and singing, unlike both her parents, but her spirit was what made her a great cheerleader. Her twin sister, Il, had blonde hair as well but she had blood red eyes and she was better known for playing tricks (specifically on her twin). She was decent at sports, but preferred not to play. She had not developed any complex issues, unlike her sister.

Souma Suki, daughter of Daichi and Ran, was six and in the first grade. She had her father's bright green hair but her mother's pink orbs, often referring to herself as the 'Exploding Watermelon' because of her energetic personality and her looks. She had gotten her love of her sports from both of her parents and played on several sports teams, including cheerleading. She planned to be head cheerleader in high school.

Tsukiyomi Haru, son of Yoru and Miki, was eleven and in the sixth grade. He had inherited his father's looks but took after his mother in personality and talent, meaning he was a skilled artist. His younger sister, Cecilia (often called Cece by the younger ones), took her looks from her mother but definitely had her father's personality, meaning she enjoyed playing tricks on people and lightening a conversation.

Fujisaki Kiki, daughter of Rhythm and Dia, was nine and in the fourth grade. She inherited her mother's vibrant orange hair but her father's amethyst eyes. She also inherited her parents' dancing and singing talent, along with their confident but laid personalities. She was very sweet and optimistic.

Fujisaki Mako, son of Nagi and Rima, was ten and in the fifth grade. He had his father's purple hair but his mother's golden eyes. He had taken the family tradition of being raised as a girl, which only his family and close friends (meaning the Tsukiyomis) knew about, and he had taken the name 'Makia' for his ruse. His younger sister, Samira, who was seven and in the second grade, often liked to make fun of him for his 'cross dressing'. This made their mother, whom she had gotten her looks from, extremely amused and their father simply called her a replica of her mother.

Hinamori Nika, adopted daughter of single mother Ami, was two years old. She had jet black hair and emerald green eyes. She was adored by everyone, making some of the younger kids just a bit jealous.

Sanjo Musashi, son of Kairi and Yaya, was twelve and in the seventh grade. He took his father's looks and serious personality, but he often became flustered around girls. This trait was often noted by his younger sister, Pepe, who had gotten her mother's looks. She was nine and in the fourth grade, but often acted as if she was younger because she wanted to remain the baby of the family…something she had also inherited from her mother.

Speaking of mothers, Utau looked distressed as she tried to comfort her daughter. "Oh, come on, there has to be other boys you like, El…"

"No, as the Angel of Love, my bars of love are the highest when I'm with Ryo so that means that it is meant to be," exclaimed the blonde haired girl, still crying loudly. Her father looked highly amused while her twin slowly inched away, as if she was embarrassed to be seen with her.

"Come on, Utau," started Yoru, grinning. "She's just as stubborn as you were with Ikuto, all those years ago." His cousin glared at him.

"You're so not helping," she snapped before turning to her husband. "Come on, let's just go home." Kukai tried not to laugh at his frustrated wife, and failing miserably, as Il challenged her sister to a race to the car. El was not athletic but she was still competitive like her parents so it was no surprise when she automatically stopped crying and announced she wouldn't lose, already running to the parking lot with her sister hot on her heels.

"See you guys, later," Kukai called to his friends, waving before he followed his wife and daughters.

Daichi waved to his cousin before turning to Ran, who was cheering their daughter as she did tricks on the monkey bars. "Hey, let's go or we'll miss the soccer game tonight." His daughter gasped as she held onto the bar, staring at her father with wide eyes.

"The game's tonight?" She exclaimed, grinning when he nodded. "Alright; let's go, go, go!" Suki swung off the bars, landing perfectly on her feet, and ran towards her parents.

"Bye guys," shouted Ran before her family dashed to the car, not wanting to miss one second of the game.

Kairi pushed up his glasses, watching his two children chase each other around on the playground. "Come on you two; we have to make it on time for your doctor appointments."

"Aw, but Daddy," started Pepe, quivering her lower lip as if she was going to burst into tears. Her brother simply tugged on her hand, pulling her to the car.

"Don't cry, Pepe-chan," assured Yaya as she fixed their coats. "The doctor always gives out lollipops to his good and healthy patients." Her daughter instantly cheered up and she grinned as she waved to her friends before leaping into the car. Kairi shook his head, kissing his wife quickly on the cheek, before he slipped into the driver's seat.

"Don't miss us too much," called Yaya jokingly to her friends before the car pulled away.

"Mama, Mama," exclaimed Kiki, making her way towards her parents on her skateboard. "Look at this cool trick I learned today!" She swerved towards a park bench and kicked once before jumping off the skateboard, which rolled under the bench undisturbed, while she did a summersault over the bench before landing perfectly back on the board. She ignored her mother's slight look of panic, high fiving her dad. "Cool, huh? I also got into the school musical!"

"That's great, Kiki," replied Dia, smiling brightly at her daughter. "Just…next time you do something like that, at least wear a helmet, okay?"

"Okay," agreed the fourth grader as her father ruffled her hair affectionately. "Hey, Papa!"

"Come on, you, we have to get to your dance recital," said Rhythm before he looked up at his cousin. "Hey, hurry up or you'll be late! Temari said she was even going to skip her tea time to come!"

"Don't worry; we'll be there," assured Nagihiko, earning a nod from his cousin as his family got into their car.

"Good luck tonight, Makia-chan," called out Kiki, winking playfully at her cousin who simply smiled. Then she was gone.

Nagi turned to his wife, who wore an amused expression. "Hm, something the matter?"

"I just find it hard to believe I agreed to let my son cross dress," replied Rima, keeping her voice quiet enough to not let anyone but him hear. "Come on…Makia." She smirked at her son's pained expression.

"It sounds worse coming from my own mother," he murmured, waving to his best friend, Ryo, as he climbed into their family car. "How long do I have to put up with all of this? I mean, I can't pull it off forever."

"I think after you graduate this year and start middle school, you can start being a boy again," replied Nagi, ruffling his son's hair. "Bye, Amu, Ikuto." Rima smiled at her best friend before she finished helping Samira into the car, climbing in.

"I guess that just leaves us," remarked Miki, sighing. Her husband grinned as he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her in close. "It's your turn to cook tonight, you know."

"You're so cold, even after all this time," stated Yoru, kissing her cheek. "But you're still really feisty, so there's always that." She rolled her eyes, though her cheeks turned the slightest bit pink. "Hey, come on, Haru, Cecilia! We gotta get home soon or it'll be your mother cooking tonight!" Now, Miki was talented at anything art related…but cooking had always been Su's thing, not hers. She burned popcorn, and if there was a way to burn water, she would manage to do it.

"Your cooking can't be as bad as Ikuto's," assured Amu, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder with a serious expression. Miki chuckled, mostly from the expression the violinist gave his wife.

"I can make a mean tuna salad," he said defensively, making his own children laugh. Ryo smirked.

"Dad, unless it involves fish or chocolate, you can't do anything but stand and look nice in the kitchen," he remarked. His cousins and sister giggled, and even the twins in their stroller giggled.

"My own children are against me," grumbled Ikuto, and his wife laughed as she kissed his cheek. "Are you coming over tonight?" This was directed at his cousin, whose family often visited.

Yoru shook his head. "Nah, we're going to relax tonight." He then spotted the monkey bars. "Speaking of which…" Before he could run off and let his inner child out, his wife grabbed him by the back of the shirt and began to walk down the street since they only lived a few blocks away from the school. "Aw…"

Miki shook her head. "Come on, Haru, Cecilia."

"Coming, Mama," called her children, saying quick goodbyes to their cousins along with their aunt and uncle (while not directly cousins, they were still close enough to call them that) before chasing after their parents.

Amu sighed as she noted how the sun was setting. "Come on; we have to get home too or you'll be having an extremely late dinner." Her children made no move to get up from their comfortable positions on the ground and she sighed again, turning. "Fine, whatever, your dad can make dinner and I'll just go tell Utau she can come over with the kids so that the 'wedding' can be finished." Ryo's face drained of color as he scurried across the street towards their car, completely missing his parents exchange amused looks. Rosalyn pouted, crossing her arms as she followed her brother.

"Just wait until I'm a big girl and I can actually hit that El," she muttered. "That'll show her for thinking I can't protect Ryo from annoying pests."

"Are you _sure _she doesn't have an obsessive brother complex?" Ikuto questioned, his daughter's behavior resembling his sister's. "I mean, she is rather protective of him…"

"Oh, Ikuto, you're being silly," replied Amu, laughing as she pushed the stroller across the street. "It's normal for siblings to be protective of each other. Just because she goes a bit overboard about it doesn't mean that she necessarily has a brother complex like Utau did."

Her husband didn't look completely convinced but dropped the matter. "That was a sneaky thing you did, threatening to call El over." He knew his son did not feel any kind of attraction for the blonde haired girl and avoided her as best as he could, which wasn't that hard since Rosalyn acted as a personal bodyguard most of the time. "You even took my trademark smirk as you said that."

The pink haired woman rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Well, if I lost my temper and ordered him to do something, he would just laugh and do the opposite to piss me off…which just proves that he's a miniature you."

"Hm, well if that's the case…I don't blame those girls for chasing after him," remarked Ikuto, smirking. "I was pretty damn irresistible." Amu gave him a look as he unlocked the car, opening the door and lifting Akira out of the stroller. She did the same with Ichigo, strapping the twins in.

"You were something, alright," she muttered, double checking to make sure that the safety belt was secured tightly. "Ryo, make sure your sister put on her seatbelt right."

"I'm a big girl; I can do it," came the girl's protests, followed by a slapping sound to indicate she had refused her brother's help and slapped his hand away. "Hey, quit it!"

"And there they go," said the couple unanimously. Rosalyn was the perfect bodyguard and sister for her brother…until her competition for Ryo's attention was gone, and then they acted like normal siblings. Needless to say, they argued quite often.

And yet…it wouldn't be the same if they didn't.

Amu smiled as she stared out the window, not paying much attention to the scenery as she got lost in thought. She couldn't believe how blessed she was, having such amazing friends and family to support her every move, and several nephews and nieces (they were all one, big family after all) who she loved, along with her own beautiful children that were part of her life because of their charming father. The said father was also a pain in the ass, but their marriage would be a lie if she didn't admit that he was annoying as well as sweet.

Their life wasn't perfect, sometimes having little blimps that got in their way, but Amu was grateful for what she had. She wasn't going to let her loved ones pass right by like she had done in the past, and she wasn't going to let herself go down any dark roads again.

The pink haired woman was jarred from her thoughts when her husband bit her ear, effectively getting her attention as she jumped and hit her head on the car ceiling. She groaned, rubbing her head as she glared at the blue haired man who looked at her innocently. How he managed that with that damn annoying smirk of his was a mystery to her.

"What the hell was that for?" She exclaimed, looking irritated. Ikuto gestured out her window.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but we've arrived at our lovely home," he said, his smirk growing when she blushed. "In fact, we arrived five minutes ago and you're still sitting here while our poor children are inside the house already and are dying of starvation…not to mention, your poor husband."

"Oh," was all Amu said, embarrassed by getting caught spacing out. "That's still not a good reason to why you bit me!" Her husband leaned closer, his breath hot on her skin, and she shuddered as he began to rub her leg affectionately.

"Well, it's still the best way to get your attention," he replied huskily and she shuddered, moaning softly when he began to plant small kisses on her neck. "Besides, it's not any fun doing things like this when you're too spaced out to enjoy it…though you could enjoy a lot more later on." His suggestive tone snapped his wife out of her trance and she blushed brightly, hasty to unbuckle her seatbelt and leap out of the car before they could start doing inappropriate things. It was because of his tactics that they had as many children as they did.

"Y-You're such a pervert," exclaimed Amu, practically running inside the house to start making dinner…and to stop herself from jumping her alluring husband. The said husband smirked as he also got out of the car, grabbing the purse she had left behind, and locking the vehicle before following his beautifully charming wife.

It wasn't until very late in the night when they were in bed, having just put the kids to sleep, did he snuggle up to her chest and whisper, "I may be a pervert, but I'm _your _pervert."

Amu simply sighed, running her fingers through his silky blue locks absently as she smiled at him. "Yes, and I wouldn't have it any other way." He titled his head up and kissed her before closing his eyes, holding his wife close as they slowly drifted to sleep.

While everybody had a nasty part of their past that they didn't talk about, Amu would have to admit that she didn't necessarily regret hers. There were things she regretted, such as Su's death and running away which made her beloved ones fall into depression, but there were also things from that that she didn't mind since it resulted in positive outcomes. She wouldn't have become such good friends with Miki and the others, or realized how much she treasured even the people who didn't like her (such as Utau, who had become one of her best friends).

And she especially didn't regret marrying Ikuto or having her beautiful children that she loved so much. She didn't regret destroying her facades or letting her true self shine for the first time.

For the first time in a long time, Amu was truly happy and couldn't be better. She didn't think it at the time, thinking life was against her, but she was truly grateful for Fate's cruel decision to throw her out of the plane if it meant this was her happily ever after.

Said happily ever after was shattered when the twins began to cry loudly at three in the morning, making their parents groan and argue about whose turn it was.

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!**

**So…yeah. This is the final chapter for Fate's Cruel Decision, sadly enough. I think this has become of my favorite stories to have written, especially since it was Amuto and included all of my favorite genres…humor, romance, a bit of drama and tragedy, some suspense…**

**Anyways, yes, I did reuse the name 'Rosalyn'. I figured that Amu was the kind of person who would name her child after somebody that had been lost to remember them. Su wasn't used as a name for any of the kids because she had her sisters to carry her memory on. Maybe Rosalyn didn't have anybody to remember her, and since Amu and Ikuto's daughter looked similar to her, I figured 'why not'?**

**Speaking of children, I didn't want to go too much into them since this story is centered around Ikuto and Amu, but I hope I didn't leave out a lot. I hope that the portion was enough…**

**Also, in the beginning when I say the line "Tsukiyomi, take this woman to be your wife?", I intentionally wrote it like that so please don't say that it doesn't make sense. If you pay attention in weddings, the priest typically asks something like, "Do you, Bobby NoName, take Sally Somebody as your wife?". I wanted to keep their names a surprise so the wording is a bit different, though the Japanese name wording kind of threw it off...**

**Rambling again…I really did have a lot of fun writing this story, and I'm really grateful for the reviews that you guys left. It means a lot to me, really.**

**I know I should focus on my other story, **_**Seamstress and the Prince**_**, but I sort of lost interest in it. I will eventually finish it, but just not at the moment, so I apologize if you read that story and are waiting for the next chapter. And before anyone asks, no, I will not be putting it up for adoption. I don't believe in adopting stories all that much because I want my original ideas to be finished with my name. I adopted only one other story, and I discontinued that. **

**Anyways, I already have an idea for a new story that I may or may not publish. It's basically about what would happen if Ami was the Joker of the Guardians instead of Amu. Almost everything is the same, including Utau hating Amu initially and Amu having four Charas while possessing the Humpty Lock (I had to keep that or the whole "lock to my key" relationship with Ikuto wouldn't work), but some of their ages are different and relationships are different as well. I've already named it **_**The Forgotten Joker**_**.**

**Still not sure if I want to publish that…but if I find enough inspiration to actually have a story, I will upload it…I also have some new oneshots as a work in progress so look out for those...**

**Ugh, why can't I just shut up? No wonder my friend likes to put duct tape over my mouth…**

**As usual, don't hesitate to tell me about any mistakes or what you honestly thought about anything in this story. I'll see you guys on the web! Cheesy goodbye, but hey…**


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